Constantinos Kombos

Dr. Constantinos Kombos is among the founding members of the Law Department, University of Cyprus. He was appointed as Lecturer of Public Law and EU law in 2006 and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2001 and Associate Professor in 2016. Prior to his appointment to the University of Cyprus, he was Lecturer of Public Law and EU law at the University of Hull (UK) (2003-2006).
He was awarded an LLB (University of Hull, 1999), an LLM in European Law (University of Cambridge, U.K., Corpus Christi College) and a Ph.D. in Law (University of Hull, U.K. Doctoral Thesis on ‘The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the ECJ: A Micro-Macro Analysis’, awarded with Distinction). He was also appointed (2001-2003) as Graduate Teaching Assistant (University of Hull).
He has received various scholarships and grants during his studies (Research Grant από A.G.Leventis Foundation, Josephine Onoh Memorial Scholarship, Scholarship by the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust, Andrew Marvell Jackson Prize/Lewenstein Price Fund, German Public Law Prize, University of Hull, Scholarship by Cyprus State Scholarship Foundation).
In terms of appointments and advisory services, he has been appointed by the President of the Republic of Cyprus as a member of the legal team advising the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the Greek Cypriot negotiator on the ongoing negotiations for the settlement of the Cyprus Problem (2014-present). In that context, he was also appointed as member of various Working Groups and took part in the negotiations in Cyprus, Geneva and Crans Montana. He was also appointed by President of House of Representatives to provide a Legal Opinion on the Fratelli Costanzo Principle and on its Impact on the Powers of legislature and on Cypriot Constitutional Law (May 2015). In 2015 he was appointed (with Aris Constantinides) by the House of Representatives to report on the need to reform the legislative framework on Conflict of Interest for all public (elected and appointed) officials. In 2014 he was appointed by the Attorney General of the Republic as Agent (Lawyer) for the Republic of Cyprus before the CJEU for Opinion 2/13, Accession of the EU to the ECHR. In 2016 he was appointed by the Supreme Court to conduct a statistical analysis in relation to the development of the case law and the work-load (appeal level) between 1960-2015. He appeared as ‘Expert Witness’ before the Legal Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, in relation to the adoption and subsequent amendment of the Law relating to the Preliminary Reference procedure (4 times between 2007-2009). In 2017 he was called as expert to give evidence before the EU Scoping Mission for the Reform of Cypriot Courts. He offered advice on issues of privatization and in the context of introducing the Privatization Law 2014 and the subsequent process (February 2014). He was also appointed as Chairman of the Committee on Social Sciences and Legal Studies of the Council of Recognition of Higher Qualifications (KYSATS) (2013-2017) and was appointed by the Council of the University of Cyprus as Chairman of the Special Committee tasked with conducting an Inquiry into the operation of the Oceanographic Centre (May 2014, Report submitted in January 2015).
He acted as coordinator for a number of research projects and has participated in numerous other research projects and as a national reporter leading to publications in the fields of EU law, constitutional law, public law, employment law, human rights, protection of whistleblowers, comparative law and local government. He represented Cyprus in various Fide Congresses, Comparative Law Congresses and Constitutional Law Congresses (Icon), while he was national co-reporter for the United Kingdom in 2006 Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law on the theme of European Constitutionalism.
He is Chairman of the Cypriot Society for Comparative Law. He was visiting researcher in Waseda University Tokyo (2017), National University of Singapore (2016) and Boston College (2018). He taught at the Academy of European Public Law/European Public Law Organisation (2016). He is currently Vice-Chairman of the Law Department.
He teaches: Constitutional Law, Law of the EU 1 &2, Cypriot Public Law, European Public Law, Comparative Constitutional Law. He is the author of 5 books.
- EU law:Constitutional, Procedural,Institutional, Substantive
- Cypriot Constitutional law
- Comparative Constitutional law
- European Public Law
- Constitutional Theory
- Employment Law
Selected publications and research works
Books
• Kombos, C., The European Court of Justice and Judicial Activism: Myth or Reality? (Athens, Thessaloniki: Sakkoulas, 2010)
• Kombos, C. (ed), Studies in European Public Law: Thematic and Post-National Perspectives (Athens, Thessaloniki: Sakkoulas, 2010)
• Kombos, C., The Doctrine of Necessity in Constitutional Law (Athens, Thessaloniki: Sakkoulas, 2015)
• Kombos, C., The Impact of EU law on Cypriot Public Law (Athens, Thessaloniki: Sakkoulas, 2015)
• Kombos, C. and Constantinides, A., KritonTornaritis: A Selection of Writings with Contemporary Comments, (Nomiki Vivliothiki, 2018)
• Kombos, C., The European Court of Justice and Judicial Activism: Myth or Reality? (Athens, Thessaloniki: Sakkoulas, 2010)
• Kombos, C. (ed), Studies in European Public Law: Thematic and Post-National Perspectives (Athens, Thessaloniki: Sakkoulas, 2010)
• Kombos, C., The Doctrine of Necessity in Constitutional Law (Athens, Thessaloniki: Sakkoulas, 2015)
• Kombos, C., The Impact of EU law on Cypriot Public Law (Athens, Thessaloniki: Sakkoulas, 2015)
• Kombos, C. and Constantinides, A., KritonTornaritis: A Selection of Writings with Contemporary Comments, (Nomiki Vivliothiki, 2018)
• Kombos, C., Cypriot Constitutional Law: Theory, Organization and Praxis (Nomiki Vivliothiki, 2021)
Books Under Contract (confirmation by publisher provided)
• Kombos, C., The Primacy of EU Law: Contending Constitutional Narratives (Berlin: Springer Publishing, forthcoming, under contract)
• Kombos, C., Action for Annulment and Locus Standi in EU administrative law (Berlin: LIT-Verlag Publishing, forthcoming, under contract)
• Kombos, C., The Primacy of EU Law: Contending Constitutional Narratives (Berlin: Springer Publishing, forthcoming, under contract)
• Kombos, C., Action for Annulment and Locus Standi in EU administrative law (Berlin: LIT-Verlag Publishing, forthcoming, under contract)
Chapters in Books and Articles in Refereed Journals (selection)
• Kombos, C., “The Recent Case Law on Locus Standi of Private Applicants under Art. 230 (4) EC: A Missed Opportunity or A Velvet Revolution?”, European Integration online Papers (EIoP) Vol. 9 (2005) N° 17, pp. 1-22
• Kombos, C., “Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: A Symbiosis on the Basis of Subsidiarity”, (2006) 12 (3) European Public Law 433-460
• Kombos, C., “Locus Standi of Representative Groups in the Shadow of Plaumann: Limitations and Possible Solutions”, (2006) 47 (4) Acta Juridical
Hungarica 373-404
• Kombos, C., “A Paradox in the Making: Detecting Something Positive in UPA Under the Ten Kate Effect”, (2009) 15 (4) European Law Journal 506-535
• Birkinshaw, P. and Kombos, C., “The UK Approach to the Emergence of European Constitutionalism - Repositioning the Debate: Departure from Constitutional Ontology and the Introduction of the Typological Discussion”, in Arnold, R., The Emergence of European Constitutional Law, (Athens: Sakkoulas and Brussels: Bruylant, 2009), p. 35-75
• Kombos, C., “The Esoteric Dimension of Constitutional Pluralism”, in Birkinshaw, P. and Varney, M. (ed), The End of the 1992 Legal Order, (Kluwer, 2010), pp. 291-323
• Kombos, C., “The Supreme Court’s of Cyprus and the CJEU’s Approach to Standing for Judicial Review and to the Preliminary Reference Procedure” (2010) 16 (3) European Public Law 327-355
• Kombos, C., “The Judiciary in Federal Systems”, in Krispi, A. and Constantinides, A., Cyprus Problem in Evolution – International Dimension, Issues of Governance, Human Rights (Athens: Sakkoulas: 2010), pp. 81-113
• Kombos, C., “Le Droit de la Nècessitè à Chypre”, in Agapiou, K. and Rossetto, J., La singularité de Chypre dansl'Unioneuropéenne (Paris: Mare and Martin, 2012), pp. 371-405
• Kombos, C., and Pantazi, A., “Human Rights post Lisbon-Cypriot Report”, in Laffranque.J., The protection of fundamental rights post-Lisbon: the interaction between the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the European Convention on Human Rights and national constitutions: FIDE 2012 Congress, Human Rights Thematic Unit (Tallinn: TUP, 2012), pp. 302-354
• Kombos, C., “Trade Union Representation in Cyprus: the right of association”, in La Mechia, C., Representing Employee Interests: Trade Union systems within the EU, (CGIL, funded by the EU Commission) (Albacete: Editorial Bomarzo, 2013),pp. 101-135 (in English and Italian)
• Kombos, C., “Legitimacy and Judicial Activism: CJEU and Supreme Court of Cyprus”, in Stragkas, I. et al., Justification, Legitimacy and Law, Legal theory Series, Volume 6, (Sakkoulas, Nomos, L’ Harmattan, 2014), pp. 1421-1455 (in Greek)
• Kombos, C., “A Constitutional Shadow over Europe: the Economic Crisis”, Stragkas, I. et al., Jus, Ars, Philosophia et Historia, (Sakkoulas, Nomos, 2017), pp. 591-613
• Kombos, C., Arestis, G., Kyriakou, N., “Human Rights in Cyprus: An Overview”, in Merten, D. und Papier, H-J., Handbook of fundamental rights in Germany and Europe, (Heidelberg: C.F. Müller Verlag, 2016), pp. 855-96 (in German)
• Kombos, C., “National Report for Cyprus”, in Jacqueson, C. et al., FIDE Congress 2014: Union Citizenship, Volume 2 (Copenhagen: Djøf Publishing, 2014), pp. 385-439
• Kombos, C., and Shaelou, S., “The Cypriot Constitution under the Impact of EU law: An Asymmetrical Formation”, in Albi, A. and Bardutzky, S. (eds.) The Role of National Constitutions in European and Global Governance (T.M.C. Asser Press/Springer Open, 2019), pp. 1373-1432.
• Kombos, C., and Arestis, G.,“Social Rights in Cyprus”, in Iliopoulos-Strangas, J.(ed.), Soziale Grundrechte in den “neuen” Mitgliedstaaten der EU (Nomos, 2019), pp. 921-1001 (in German)
• Kombos, C., “Data Retention and Protection of Human Rights: Beyond the Call of Duty” (2015) 21 (2) European Public Law 411-429
• Kombos, C., “Protection and support for Whistleblowers: The Cypriot Experience”, in Thuesing, G. and Forst, G. (eds), Whistleblowing-A Comparative Study. Ius Comparatum-Global Studies in Comparative Law, Volume 16 (Springer International Publishing, 2016), pp. 101-115
• Kombos, C., “Social Rights in the Republic of Cyprus”, Wojtyczek, K. (ed), Social and Economic Rights as Fundamental Rights, (Den Haag: Eleven International Publishing, 2016), pp. 57-86
• Kombos, C., “Commentary on Articles 158-161 TFEU”, in Blanke, H-J. and Mangiamelli, S. (eds), TFEU: a Commentary, (Springer, forthcoming, approved March 2016; still pending)
• Kombos, C.and Theodosiou, A., “Freedom of Expression and Religion: the Coexistence in the Cypriot Constitutional Order”, in Synodinou, T. et al., Freedom of Expression of Journalists and Caricaturists (Athens: Sakkoulas, 2016), pp. 3-35 (in Greek)
• Kombos, C., “Local Administration in the Republic of Cyprus,” National Report for Observatory of Local Government (OLA), University of Lille (online publication, 81 pages, approved February 2016, available at http://www.ola-europe.com/index.php?eID=tx_nawsecuredl&u=0&file=fileadmin/user_upload/ressources/monographie/mono_en/mono_chypre_en_2015.pdf&t=1478420187&hash=12e6dff06fef34df7ffa6ded61294708)
• Kombos, C., “The Impact of the Economic Crisis on the Functioning of Institutions: the Cypriot Experience”, in Tarchi, R. (ed.), Crisi economica ed impatto sulle istituzioni nazionali (www.Federalismi.it, numero especialle 26/2016, 2016), 30 pages.
• Kombos, C., “Division of Competences-The Cyprus Report”, in Ziller, J. et al, Division of Competences and Regulatory Powers Between the EU and the Member States, Topic III, (Wolters Kluwer, 2016), pp. 89-114
• Kombos, C., “Developments in Cypriot Constitutional Law: the Year 2016 in Review”, in Albert, Richard and Landau, David and Faraguna, Pietro and Drugda, Šimon, The I·CONnect-Clough Center 2016 Global Review of Constitutional Law (August 3, 2017). The I·CONnect-Clough Center 2016 Global Review of Constitutional Law. ISBN: 9780692925164. Published by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3014378, pp. 52-57
• Kombos, C., “Developments in Cypriot Constitutional Law: the Year 2017 in Review”, in Albert, Richard and Landau, David and Faraguna, Pietro and Drugda, Šimon, The I·CONnect-Clough Center 2017 Global Review of Constitutional Law (July 19, 2018). The I·CONnect-Clough Center 2017 Global Review of Constitutional Law. ISBN: 978-0-692-15916-3. Published by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy; FSU College of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 888; U of Texas Law, Public Law Research Paper. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3215613, pp. 68-72
• Kombos, C., “Developments in Cypriot Constitutional Law: the Year 2018 in Review”, in Albert, Richard and Landau, David and Faraguna, Pietro and Drugda, Šimon, I·CONnect-Clough Center 2018 Global Review of Constitutional Law (October 18, 2019). The I·CONnect-Clough Center 2018 Global Review of Constitutional Law. ISBN: 978-0-692-15916-3. Published by the Clough Center for the Study of Constitutional Democracy (2019). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3471638 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3471638, pp. 74-9
• Kombos, C., “Constitutional review and the Economic Crisis: in the Courts we trust?” (2019) 52 (3) Comparative Law Review 1 (Waseda University), pp. 1-56 (in Japanese)
• Kombos, C., “Constitutional review and the Economic Crisis: in the Courts we trust?”, Part I, (2019) 25 (1) European Public Law 105, pp. 105-34
• Kombos, C., “Constitutional review and the Economic Crisis: in the Courts we trust?”, Part II, (2019) 25 (2) European Public Law 229, pp. 229-48
• Kombos, C. and Erodotou, A., “(Un-)Constitutional Amendments: The Cypriot Paradigm” (2019) 25 (3) European Public Law 305, pp. 305-324
Forthcoming (reviewed, accepted and confirmed)
• Kombos, C., “Legal Pluralism and Constitutionalism in the Cypriot Example”, in Tusseau, G. (ed.), Debating Legal Pluralism and Constitutionalism (Springer, confirmed publication date: February 2020), 52 pages
• Kombos, C. and Erodotou, A., “A ‘bail-in’ of social rights? The Cypriot experience of the financial crisis”, in Becker, U. and Poulou, A. (ed.), Social Rights after the European Financial Crisis: The Constitution of the Welfare State under Pressure, (Oxford University Press, confirmed publication date: 2020), 31 pages
• Kombos, C. and Erodotou, A., “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights During the Crisis in Cyprus: The Interplay Between Domestic and External Normative Systems” (2020) Constitutional Review (confirmed publication date: December 2020), 25 pages
• Kombos, C., “The Rule of Law and the CJEU: Filling in the Political Gap?”, European Politeia (accepted 1st May 2019, confirmed publication date: 2020), 17 pages (in English)
• Kombos, C., “Developments in Cypriot Constitutional Law: the Year 2019 in Review”, in Albert, Richard and Landau, David and Faraguna, Pietro and Drugda, Šimon, I·CONnect-Clough Center 2019 Global Review of Constitutional Law (2020). The I·CONnect-Clough Center 2018 Global Review of Constitutional Law
• Kombos, C., “Legal Pluralism and Constitutionalism in the Cypriot Example”, in Tusseau, G. (ed.), Debating Legal Pluralism and Constitutionalism (Springer, confirmed publication date: February 2020), 52 pages
• Kombos, C. and Erodotou, A., “A ‘bail-in’ of social rights? The Cypriot experience of the financial crisis”, in Becker, U. and Poulou, A. (ed.), Social Rights after the European Financial Crisis: The Constitution of the Welfare State under Pressure, (Oxford University Press, confirmed publication date: 2020), 31 pages
• Kombos, C. and Erodotou, A., “Economic, Social and Cultural Rights During the Crisis in Cyprus: The Interplay Between Domestic and External Normative Systems” (2020) Constitutional Review (confirmed publication date: December 2020), 25 pages
• Kombos, C., “The Rule of Law and the CJEU: Filling in the Political Gap?”, European Politeia (accepted 1st May 2019, confirmed publication date: 2020), 17 pages (in English)
• Kombos, C., “Developments in Cypriot Constitutional Law: the Year 2019 in Review”, in Albert, Richard and Landau, David and Faraguna, Pietro and Drugda, Šimon, I·CONnect-Clough Center 2019 Global Review of Constitutional Law (2020). The I·CONnect-Clough Center 2018 Global Review of Constitutional Law
Book Reviews
• Barrows, N. and Greaves, R., The Advocate General and EC Law (Oxford University Press, 2007), in (2009) 15 European Public Law 139
• Countouris, N., The Changing Law of the Employment Relationship (Ashgate, 2007), in (2009) 13 (4) Electronic Journal of Comparative Law
• Piris, J-C., The Constitution of Europe: A Legal Analysis, (Cambridge University Press, 2006), in (2007) 44 Common Market Law Review 205
• Barrows, N. and Greaves, R., The Advocate General and EC Law (Oxford University Press, 2007), in (2009) 15 European Public Law 139
• Countouris, N., The Changing Law of the Employment Relationship (Ashgate, 2007), in (2009) 13 (4) Electronic Journal of Comparative Law
• Piris, J-C., The Constitution of Europe: A Legal Analysis, (Cambridge University Press, 2006), in (2007) 44 Common Market Law Review 205