clr/1988/1988_3_561.pdf

(1988)Casesreferredto: Karagiorgis v.C£.C.

(1985)3C.L.R. 378; Theodossiou v.The Republic, 2R.S.C.C. 44; Hadjiantoniv.TheRepublic

(1983)3C.L.R.1145; Trapellidesv.TheRepublic

(1986)3C.L.R. 1861; Duncan v.TheRepublic

(1977)3 C.L.R.

1. Recourses* Recoursesagainst thedecision of therespondent topromote theinterested partiestothepostofAssistant Headmasterinthe ElementaryEducationinpreferenceandinsteadoftheapplicants. M.Christofides,for applicantinCaseNo. 337/
2. A. S.Angelides, for applicants inCasesNos.394/85,418/85 and496/
3. R.Petridou (Mrs.),forrespondent. A. Pandelides,forinterestedpartyI.Pittakainallcases. E.Efstathiou,forinterestedpartiesG.Zevedheou,G.Vassiliades, A. Vlami, Ch. Rossidou, Korniliou, N. Kyprianou, Z. Koumoundhiou, F. Michaelides, S. Stavridou Kyriakidou, M.Kei. A. Haviaras,for interestedpartyF.Christodoulidesinallcases. Cur. adv.vult. A.LOIZOUJ.read thefollowingjudgment.Theserecourses 562 3 C.L.R. 5 Kalogirou and Others v. Republic A. Loizou J. were heard together as they involve common questions of law and fact. They arealldirected against thedecision of therespondent Educational ServiceCommission, topromote the interested partiestothepostof Assistant Headmaster intheElementary Educationinpreference andinstead oftheapplicants. TheSupreme Court -Pikis,J. -bymeans of itsdecision inrecourses Nos. 359/82, 394/82, and 395/82,reported as Ioannides and Others v.The Republic

(1984)3C.L.R. 1283),annulled the promotionsof twenty-three teachers tothepostof Assistant headlO masterintheelementary education which hadbeen decided bythe respondent Educational Service Commission on the 14th July 1982. The applicants in recourse 394/84, were the applicants in one of the present recourses - 337/85 -Odysseas Kalogirou and his wife Erini Kalogirou.The Supreme Court upheld therecourse ,5 of Mrs.Kalogirou and dismissed therecourse of Mr. Kalogirou. Asagainst thedismissal of hisrecourse thelatterfiledRevisional Jurisdiction Appeal No.431.Therespondent Educational Service Commission reconsidered thequestion of thefillingof thetwenty-three posts of Assistant headmaster on the 21st December 1984, and took the subjudice decision. The relevant minute of theCommission readsas follows: -^ 35 "TheCommission havingconsidered thepersonalfilesand theconfidential reportsofthecandidates and havingtaken into consideration theprovisions oftheLaw andofthe Schemesof Service as well asthefindingsof the Supreme Court,therecommendations of the appropriate department which were transmitted bymeansof theletterof theDirectorof Elementary Education No. 265/68/2 dated 5th July 1982, finds that the following teachers, on the basis of merit, qualifications and seniority, the service reports and the recommendations of the appropriate Department,arethemost suitablefor promotion to thesaidvacantposts.TheCommission does not takeintoconsideration theimpression created at theinterview butrelieson thematerial in thefile andon thegeneral picture ofthecandidatesemanating therefrom. 563 A. Loizou J. Kalogirou and Others v. Republic

(1988)Allthecandidateswhohavebeenselectedpossesexcellent marksandhavebeenrecommendedbytheappropriateDepartmentofEducation.InadditionMessrsAndreasVlamis,Klitos Symeonides, Michael Ttofis, Maro Kei, Sonia StavridouKyriakidou, Andreas Mytilineos, and Demetrios Petrakis, 5 haveapostgraduateeducationabroadand/orauniversitytitle." It is pertinent torefer to paragraphs 2 and 3of therelevant SchemeofServicewhichprovide: "2.Atleasttwoyearssatisfactory serviceunderthelasttwo confidential reports. 10 3.Postgraduateeducationabroadoranadditionaleducation tideoneducational subjectsoracertificateofsuccessful attendanceofspecialseriesofeducationallessonsorganizedbythe MinistryofEducation willbeconsidered asanadditionaladvantage." 15 Ishallexaminenowthefactspertainingtoeachoneoftheapplicantsandtheinterestedparties. Theapplicant inrecourseNo.337/85-OdysseasKalogirouhas twenty-one years service. In the last tworecent reports he wasratedwith36marksineachreport.Hewasnotrecommend- 20 edbytheappropriate Department. Heattended successfully the educationallessonsoftheMinistryofEducation. Applicant No. 1,in recourse No. 394/85 - AntonisPapadbpoullos,had twenty-one yearsof service.In thelast tworecent reportshewasratedwith35and36marks,respectively.Hewas 25 notrecommendedbytheappropriateDepartment.Heistheholder of anA.C.P.diplomainMethodsof Teaching (Associate ofthe CollegeofPreceptors). Applicant No. 2, in recourse No. 394/85 - Georghios Loucaides-hastwentyyearsofservice.Inthetwopastrecentreports 30 hewasratedwith 32and36marks,respectively.Hetoowasnot 564 3 C.L.R. Kalogirou and Others v. Republic A. Loizou J. recommended by theappropriate Department.Heistheholderof aUniversityDegree. 5 10 15 20 The applicant inrecourse No.418/85 - Maria Papageorghiou Photiou has twenty-five years of service. In the two past recent reports shewasrated with 36marks ineach report. Shewasrecommended bytheappropriate Department. Applicant inrecourse No.496/85,-Michael Ioannides -had 18 11/12years'service.In thetwopastrecentreports hewasratedwith 36marksineachreport.Hewasrecommended bytheappropriateDepartment.Heis theholderof adegreeinMusicfrom theGreek OratoriumofAthens. Coming now to the Interested Parties their years of service ranged from 1611/12to20.They wereallrated with 36marksin eachof thetwopastrecentreportswith theexception of interested. parties Saveriades, Christodoulides and HadjiThemistou, who wereratedwith35marksinoneofthereports.Furthertheywere allrecommended by theappropriateDepartment. Alsothey have allattended successfully theeducational lessonsoftheMinistryof Education. In addition interested parties Andreas Vlamis,Klitos Symeonides,Michael Ttofis, Maro Kei, Sonia Stavridou -Kyriakidou and Andreas Mitilineos possess postgraduate education abroad and/oruniversitytitle. Recourse No.337/85. 25 30 .Theapplicantinthisrecourse wasthe most seniorof thecandidates.Asregardsmerit,hismarks areslightly better -albeitby onemark -tothreeoftheinterestedpartiesbutarethesametothe rest. However, all candidates have the recommendation of the Head of Department whereas this applicant does not have such recommendations. As therecommendations of the Head of Department are "an additional merit which cannot be lightly disregardedby anadministrative bodydealingwith promotions. (See Karagiorgis v. CM.C.

(1985)3 C.L.R. 378 at 38$ also Theodossiou v. Republic, 3 R.S.C.C. 44 at p. 48), this applicant's 565 A. LoizouJ. Kalogirou and Othersv.Republic

(1988)seniorityinmyviewcannotbeadecisivefactor inhisfavour,in viewofthefact thathewasnotrecommended bytheappropriate Department. (SeeHadjiantoniv.TheRepublic

(1983)3 C.L.R. 1145at 1158; Trapellidesv.TheRepublic

(1986)3C.L.R.1861 at 1866).Hehasfailed thustoestablish anystrikingsuperiority 5 overtheinterested partieswhich isnecessary inorder tojustify anyinterferencebythisCourtwiththesubjudicedecisionwhich in thecircumstances Ifindto bereasonably open and for these reasonsthisrecourseshouldfail. RecourseNo.394/

1. 10 Thereasoningbehind mydecision inrecourse337/85applies to applicant No. 1,in recourse 394/85 because the facts arealmostthesame.Therefore hisrecoursefailsalso. Regardingapplicant No.2inrecourse394/85,1mustsaythat hisnon-recommendation bytheappropriateDepartmentisnotin- 15 consistentwiththematerialintherelevantadministrativerecourse for hewasratedwith 32marksinone.ofthetwopastrecentreports.Therefore on thematerial before it,including therecommendationoftheappropriateDepartment,itwasreasonablyopen totherespondentEducationalServiceCommissiontoarriveatthe 20 conclusion theydid.Therecourseofapplicant No.2,mustthereforefail. RecourseNo. 418/
2. Theapplicantinthisrecoursewasrankingequalinmeritwith theinterested parties and wasrecommended by theappropriate 25 department.Furthershehastwenty-five yearsofservicewhereas theserviceoftheinterestedpartiesrangedfrom 1611/12yearsto 20 years.And yet, she was not selected for promotion and no reasonsatallfor adoptingsuch acourseweregiven.Ithasbeen firmly establishedbythecaselawofthisCounthatsenioritypre- 30 vailswhen other factors aremoreorlessequal (SeeDuncan v. TheRepublic

(1977)3C.L.R. 153).Andin thiscasesuchother factors wereequaland yet theoverwhelming seniorityofappli566 3 C.L.R. 5 ΙΟ 15 2Q Kalogirou and Others'v. Republic A. Loizou J. cant was ignored. I am, thus,bound toconclude that in arriving at the decision to promote the interested parties therespondent Educational Service Commission exercised itsdiscretionary pow­ ers in adefective mannerandcontrary totheprinciples of administrative law. Thesubjudice decision must therefore beannulled in so far as applicantinrecourse418/85is concerned.As against the remaining interested parties therecourse having been with­ drawn is dismissed as against interested parties Demetrios Petraki andIrini Kaloyirou. Recourse No. 496/85. Lasdy coming to theapplicantin thisrecourse we find thathe is senior tofour of theinterested parties. Heranks equal inmerit with all theinterested parties and heis slightly superior - albeit by one mark -to three of them.He,like the interested parties was recommendedby theappropriateDepartment, andyet, nocogent reasons are given why his seniority over interested parties, HjiThemistou, Michaelides and Koumoudhiou, was ignored. Therefore for the reasons appearing in recourse 418/85, his re­ course must succeed in so far as theabove four interested parties areconcernedand must fail in so far as theremaining interested parties areconcerned. In theresult and for thereasons stated above recourses num­ bers 337/85and 394/85fail andarehereby dismissed. 25 30 Recourse No. 418/85 succeeds and the subjudicepromotions of theinterestedparties except interestedpartiesDemetrios Petraki and Irini Kaloyirou, as against whom therecourse was dismissed as withdrawn, must beannulled. Recourse No. 496/85, succeeds so far as interested parties HadjiThemistou, Michaelides and Koumoudhiou areconcerned whosepromotionsare annulled butfails andis hereby dismissed asregards theremainingof theinterestedparties. 567 A. Loizou J. Kalogirou and Others v.Republic

(1988)In the circumstances, however, there will be no order as to costs. Recourses 337/85 and 394/85 dismissed.Recourses 418/85 and 496/85 succeedinpart.Noorderastocosts. $ 568