How Menas researches Cyprus law: sources first, then the answer
A plain-language look at how Menas finds, orders and checks Cyprus legal sources before it writes, what it does when sources run out, and what is coming next: voice and a one-step full research run.
Most people meet legal AI through a general chatbot: you ask, it answers in seconds, and it sounds sure of itself. For Cyprus law that is risky. Our judgments are mostly in Greek, many are not well indexed, and a confident answer that cites a case that does not exist can cost a client dearly. Menas was built around one idea: find the law first, then write.
1. Sources first
When you ask a question, Menas first works out what is actually being asked: the legal issue, the area of law, and any dates that matter (for example, which version of a law applied at the time). Then it searches by family of source, in a fixed order:
- Cyprus case law and legislation — always first.
- European Court of Human Rights and EU sources — when the question needs them.
- UK case law — only when Cyprus material is thin, and always marked as persuasive, not binding.
This is what we mean by source awareness: Menas knows which kind of source each result is, and does not let a well-worded foreign case push aside a relevant Cyprus judgment.
2. Authority before similarity
A search engine ranks results by how closely the words match. Lawyers rank them by authority: which court, which level, how recent, whether it was followed. Menas orders results by legal authority first and uses closeness of wording only to break ties at the same level.
3. An evidence pack, then the answer
Before writing, Menas puts together an evidence pack: the passages it will rely on, with the court, date and a stable reference for each decision. The answer is then written only over that pack. Each point carries its citation, so you can open the judgment and check the passage yourself.
4. Saying "not enough"
The most useful sentence a research assistant can write is sometimes: "The sources found do not settle this." Menas is designed to say when coverage is thin, when a point rests on foreign or older authority, or when a question needs facts it does not have. It does not paper over gaps.
5. Deep Dive for hard questions
Some matters need a second look. Deep Dive runs a further, targeted research pass with the same rules about sources and authority, and brings back a fuller picture: more authorities, counter-arguments, and practical next steps. It is optional and part of the Professional plan.
6. Controls you can see
- You confirm before paid work runs. Research and Deep Dive start only after you say yes, once.
- Your work stays in your matters. Questions and results are kept per case, under your account.
- Your data, your call. You can request an export or deletion of your data at any time.
- Language follows you. Ask in Greek, English or Russian and get the answer in the same language.
Why it takes minutes, not seconds
Other Cyprus tools answer in seconds, and that is a real advantage for quick look-ups. A full Menas research run takes a few minutes. That time is spent on the steps above: working out the question, searching each source family, ordering by authority, building the evidence pack and checking that the answer stays inside it. For a quick look-up you get a fast first answer in the chat; for advice a client will rely on, we think the extra minutes are worth it. You can read more in Fast answers and checked answers.
Where you can use it
Menas runs on the web, on iOS and on Android. It also has a connector (MCP), so you can look up Cyprus judgments and laws from inside ChatGPT, Claude or Microsoft Copilot and continue in Menas when you need full research. Enterprise plans include API access.
What's coming next
Two features are in research and development. They are not available yet, and we will only describe them in detail once they are live.
- Voice mode — describe your matter out loud, in Greek, and talk through the findings afterwards.
- A "turbocharged" research run — one action that runs full research and Deep Dive together, for matters where you already know you need both.
What we don't publish
We describe what Menas does and what you can check. We don't publish internal settings, scoring formulas or the instructions our system follows; those are our work and also make the system harder to game. If you need more detail for a procurement or compliance review, write to us.
Menas supports legal research; it does not give legal advice. Always read the primary sources and apply your own professional judgment.