Cyprus has constituted a colony of Great Britain until 1960. The legal framework that was established was almost entirely based on the English legal system and the legislation adopted the principles of Common Law and Equity.

Following the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, the legal framework has maintained the aforesaid influence of the English legal system. The legislation applied by the Courts of the Republic of Cyprus includes:

Notably, following the accession of the republic of Cyprus to the European Union (EU) in 2004, the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus has been amended in order to give supremacy to EU Law.