The Attorney-General of the Republic is appointed by the President of the Republic from amongst lawyers of high professional and moral standard. He is the Head of the Law Office of the Republic, which is an independent office and is not under any Ministry. The Attorney-General and the Deputy Attorney-General of the Republic are members of the permanent legal service of the Republic and hold office under the same terms and conditions as a Judge of the Supreme Court and are not removed from office except on the like grounds and in the like manner as such Judge of the Supreme Court. They have the right of audience in, and take precedence over any other persons appearing before, any Court. The Attorney-General of the Republic, assisted by the Deputy Attorney-General of the Republic, is the legal adviser of the Republic and of the President of the Republic and of the Council of Ministers and of the Ministers and exercises all such other powers and performs all such other functions and duties as are conferred or imposed on him by the Constitution or by Law. He has power, exercisable at his discretion in the public interest, to institute, conduct, take over and continue or discontinue any proceedings for an offence against any person in the Republic. Such power may be exercised by him in person or by officers subordinate to him acting under and in accordance with his instructions. The President of the Republic, on the unanimous recommendation of the Attorney-General and the Deputy Attorney-General of the Republic, remits, suspends or commutes any sentence passed by a Court in the Republic. All actions filed by the Republic against any person, unless otherwise provided by any Law, are filed in the name of the Attorney-General of the Republic, and actions filed by any person against the Republic, unless otherwise provided by any Law, are filed against the Attorney-General of the Republic as defendant, who represents the Republic before the Court. As regards International Courts, such as the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of the European Communities, the Attorney-General of the Republic acts as agent of the Republic in all cases in which the Republic is a party to the proceedings. The Attorney-General of the Republic is ex officio member of the Administrative Board of the Cyprus Bar Association and Honorary President of the Cyprus Bar Association, President of the Legal Board, of the Advocates Disciplinary Board and of the Board of the Advocates’ Pension Fund.