Commission de Venise du Conseil de l'Europe

Justice Nicholas G. Santis was born in Famagusta, Cyprus, on 5 September 1962. He was educated at Anargyrios and Korgialenios School of Spetses and at Acropolis A’ Gymnasium, from which he graduated in 1980. He holds a BA in Political Science from Boston University (magna cum laude, with distinction in Political Science). He read Jurisprudence at the University of Oxford and holds the MA (Oxon). He holds two doctoral degrees: a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, School of Law, and a DPhil in Criminology from the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford (examined viva voce and approved without corrections; formal conferral is pending). He received academic distinctions and awards during his studies. 

On 1 July 2023, he was appointed Justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court. He was previously appointed Justice of the Supreme Court in December 2020, where he served until his appointment to the Supreme Constitutional Court. He served as Acting District Court Judge (1995–1996), District Court Judge (1996–2004), Senior District Court Judge (2004–2013), and President of District Court (2013–2020). He also served as President of the Larnaca–Famagusta Assize Court (2013–2015; 2019–2020), as a Member of the Assize Court of Nicosia (2009–2013), and of the Assize Court of Limassol–Paphos (2001–2013). 

As a lawyer, he practised across a wide range of legal matters as a member of the Famagusta Bar Association. He was a member of the Committee on Judicial Reform and the Rules Committee. He is a Judicial Trainer at the Cyprus School for Judicial Training, and served as elected President of the Cyprus Judges Association for three consecutive terms until his appointment to the Supreme Court (2013–2020). He is a Substitute Member of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and included in the list of ad hoc judges of the European Court of Human Rights. 

For approximately fifteen years, he was Lecturer and Examiner of the Cyprus Legal Council in Criminal Law and, for four years, in Evidence Law. He has taught Criminal Investigation (pro bono) as a Special Scientist at the University of Cyprus, Faculty of Law. He was a Member of the Cyprus Crime Prevention Council for seven years, representing the judiciary by appointment of the Supreme Court of Cyprus, and chaired Working Groups during the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union (2012). He has delivered lectures at universities and international legal conferences and has published articles in Cypriot and international journals. He is the co-author, together with the late Takis Eliades, former Justice of the Supreme Court, of The Law of Evidence: Procedural and Substantive Aspects (1st edn, 2014; 2nd edn, 2016). 

He was formerly a middle- and long-distance runner, competing in regional competitions in Greece and subsequently representing GSE (Evagoras Gymnastic Association of Famagusta) in Pancyprian and Panhellenic competitions, achieving distinction. He completed his compulsory military service as a Reserve Second Lieutenant (Commando Forces) and was awarded a distinction upon honourable discharge (1980–1982). He was subsequently promoted to Reserve Lieutenant by examination and selection prior to his judicial appointment in 1995. He received a commendation from the Cyprus Amateur Athletics Association in 2004 for his ‘contribution to track and field athletics in Cyprus’. He is married and has three children.