The House legal affairs committee renewed pressure on the ministry of justice to submit a long-awaited revised bill aimed at tackling violence in sports stadiums, during a session held on Wednesday.

Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis was present at the meeting, where MPs voiced concerns over delays and a lack of clarity on the contents of the updated legislation.

Committee chairman and Disy MP Nikos Tornaritis told reporters after the session that members had been informed of the bill’s revision but noted that it had yet to be officially submitted to parliament.

“We expect the justice ministry to send the revised bill so that observations can be made by the relevant authorities, and MPs can voice their own comments,” he said. 

“This bill must soon be brought to the plenary. But this, of course, depends on how quickly the ministry moves.”

Pressed on the bill’s contents, Tornaritis admitted that the committee was still in the dark over what changes had been introduced.

“We have not understood exactly what changes there have been,” he said, adding that mention was made of a communication between the ministry and the commissioner for personal data protection.

The lack of clarity has raised concerns among MPs who want to ensure that both public safety and civil liberties are properly balanced in any new measures introduced at football grounds and other sports venues.

Separately, the committee continued reviewing proposed changes to the criminal code concerning protest rallies and parades. Tornaritis confirmed the committee is halfway through an article-by-article discussion of the bill and expressed hope for swift progress.

Addressing worries raised about restrictions on public gatherings, he said the aim is not to curb the right to protest but to bring more order and predictability.

“There will be a more organised, more institutionalised process,” he said. 

“An organiser will inform the police and the local authority where the gathering will take place, so that we avoid any trouble and ensure the protest does not disturb the public or the participants themselves.”