Two months ago, the House plenary unanimously passed the Ministry of Justice bill allowing police officers to wear body cameras during duty, as well as to install cameras in service vehicles.
With this bill, the Ministry of Justice aims:
First, to protect police officers from false complaints by citizens.
Second, to protect citizens from possible abuse of power by police officers.
Third, to strengthen evidential material, as audiovisual recordings collected from body cameras and service vehicles will be able to be used in both criminal and disciplinary cases.
However, the measure is expected to come into force in 2027, as the Police were not in a position, at the time the bill was passed, to launch the relevant tender for the procurement of body cameras. Even today, two months later, the process remains at the consultation stage for preparing tender specifications.
The ministry takes over
Following this development, and according to Politis information, the Ministry of Justice is proceeding with the creation of a new department within the ministry to manage public tenders. The new unit will consolidate the needs of both the Police and the Fire Service and will launch joint tenders for the two bodies, achieving savings in time, human resources and more favourable pricing due to larger procurement volumes.
Today, both the Police and the Fire Service maintain separate departments responsible for drafting specifications and launching tenders.
Protection of police officers
The use of body cameras by police officers is expected to improve the quality of policing and contribute significantly to reducing unfounded complaints against members of the force.
According to data from the Independent Authority for the Investigation of Allegations and Complaints Against the Police, more than 50% of complaints filed by citizens against police officers were dismissed as unfounded. Most complaints, according to discussions before the House, originated either from individuals involved in criminal networks seeking retribution against officers who exposed their activities, or from irregular migrants aiming to secure an extension of their stay in the Republic of Cyprus.
It should be noted that since June 2024, legislation has been in force making it a criminal offence to submit false complaints against police officers to the Authority.
The relevant legislation, passed by the House following a proposal by DISY MP Nikos Georgiou, provides that any person who knowingly gives false testimony to an investigator of the Authority, or to a person appointed by it, in relation to a fictitious criminal or disciplinary offence, is guilty of a criminal offence and, upon conviction, faces imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to €2,000, or both.
Protection of citizens
At the same time, the use of body cameras by uniformed and non‑uniformed police officers is expected to deter incidents of abuse of power against citizens.
In 2025, 11 police officers involved in five separate criminal cases were brought before the courts for offences including degrading treatment, unlawful arrest, assault and abuse of authority.
According to data from the Independent Authority, 355 complaints were filed by citizens against police officers in 2025, of which 127 were deemed sufficiently substantiated to warrant further investigation by criminal investigators.
Specifically, when a complaint or allegation against a police officer requires criminal and/or disciplinary investigation, the Authority appoints one or more investigators, either from among its members or from individuals included in a list drawn up by the Attorney General. Where no member of the Authority is included, one must be appointed in a supervisory role.
If, following investigation, it is established that a police officer has committed a criminal offence, the case is forwarded to the Attorney General with a recommendation for prosecution. If there is no sufficient evidence for prosecution, the file is still sent to the Attorney General, who has the final say on whether charges will be brought.
If the investigation finds that a police officer has committed a disciplinary offence, the Authority forwards the case to the Chief of Police for disciplinary action, with the Authority’s decision being binding.
When cameras will be activated
According to the legislation, body cameras will be activated in the following cases:
- During the arrest and/or search of a person
- During the pursuit of any person or vehicle
- During the stopping and inspection of a person or vehicle, including the conduct of the check and recording of offences
- During entry into premises for search purposes
- During police attendance at crime scenes
- During the management of riots and large‑scale violent incidents
- During operational activities
The body cameras will emit a visible light signal to indicate that they are operating. In addition, police officers are legally required to inform citizens, immediately after activation, that recording of video and audio is taking place.
