Supreme Constitutional Court faults education ministry over disability hiring measures

Nicosia, Cyprus. The Supreme Constitutional Court said on Friday that the education ministry “continuously and illegally” failed to take necessary measures to implement legislation for people with disabilities in the education service.

Court ruling on omissions in training programme

The court said the omissions were made between 2010 and 2015 by the administrators of the pre-employment training programme.

Three teachers with disabilities, who had been on special lists for employment since 2010, could not be appointed to permanent posts without first successfully passing the pre-employment training programme. Although this was a prerequisite, the programme did not run from 2013 to 2015.

Legal obligations and access requirements

The court said the administration was bound by law to ensure that 10 per cent of appointments were people with disabilities and to take measures so that the training programme was fully accessible to them.

It added that this obligation overrides any other administrative practice or evaluation of needs, and said arguments presented by the state were therefore deemed irrelevant.

Impact on employment rights and next steps

The court emphasised that denying disabled people early employment deprived them of seniority, advancement and promotion.

It said it was now up to the teachers to determine the amount of damages and file a case with the district court.

Appeal rejected and costs awarded

The state’s appeal was thrown out and it was ordered to pay €4,000 to cover legal expenses.

What steps will you follow next to pursue damages through the district court?