Some members of the judiciary still need to learn that the Courts of Law are not a social club

I write this as a general and sincere appeal to Magistrates, Judges, and members of the judiciary working in the Law Courts.

I’m begging the members of the judiciary, if you are joking in the courtroom and passing on stupid remarks, please stop, yesterday before today.

We are on the brink of a new constitutional crisis with the Prime Minister going head to head against the judiciary and the judiciary needs all the support that society can provide them. These are very serious and trying times and the Courts of Law are one of the last State institutions that Labour has yet to take over completely. I will be on the side of the rule of law when Labour intends to usurp it by attacking the judiciary.

I am being very restrained in publishing stupid and sexist comments made by a judge today in his court (not usually mentioned on this website), and I am making this exception because this is a very delicate time in our history.

I have a very long and extensive experience in the Courts of Law. Mostly I have been in Court under presiding Magistrates and Judges who rule their courtroom with an iron legal fist – as it should be. I have great respect for them for doing so. On the other hand, some members of the judiciary still feel they have the privilege to act in their Court as if they are in a social club: joking, passing stupid remarks, and sometimes even making sexist comments. Please, stop.

I have nothing but great respect for the members of the judiciary and, only they are in the way of Malta becoming a fully-fledged one-party state. We can’t afford to lose them.

However, if a magistrate or a judge makes stupid comments in court and jokes around as if they are in a social club, they are basically, inviting me to write about them. This is not the time for these things.

Mark Camilleri

Website Editor
Historian and Publisher