University students denounce Prime Minister’s behaviour towards judiciary in solidarity protest

University students gathered in Republic Street, Valletta on Tuesday evening and collectively condemned Prime Minister Robert Abela’s recent comments against the judiciary in light of the conclusion to the Vitals magisterial inquiry.

Students from the University of Malta organised a peaceful protest outside the Law Courts in solidarity with the judiciary following the recent comments made by government officials that sought to “undermine the public confidence and trust in our judiciary, and are aimed at tarnishing the reputation of our judges and magistrates.”

The protest featured students, adults, politicians, and electoral candidates in attendance in front of the Law Courts. Some people in attendance held placards displaying several messages, including support to the judiciary, calls to let the institutions work, and others relating to the need to safeguard the rule of law.

The student organisations hosting this protest said they hosted this event “in solidarity with the Judiciary, and in defence of our Courts” since “a healthy democracy founded on the rule of law cannot let such an attack on the Courts slide.”

The protest featured five youths speakers deriving from the Malta Law Students’ Society (GħSL), the University Student Council (KSU), and the National Youth Council of Malta (KNŻ Malta). KSU were represented by its new President Luke Bonanno, KNŻ by Sarah Xuereb, and GħSL by its President Andrew Drago, its Vice-President Laura Chetcuti Dimech, and its Policy Officer Michael Spiteri.

KSU President Luke Bonanno opened the speeches by thanking all students who were present and by stating that through their collective presence, “we are showing that Maltese will not stand for the abuses taking place.”

“These abuses are not tolerable,” he said, “The Maltese deserve better and are ready to fight for better.”

Bonanno expressed disappointment that Prime Minister Abela’s discourse on Monday was based on instilling doubts in the judiciary in an attempt to win more votes, especially considering that Abela is a lawyer in practice, he said.

The KSU representative said that it is not right that Abela continues to ignore the rule of law. He then added that the establishment is made up of “who else but those in power,” before concluding with a message to the Prime Minister to let the institutions function.

Spiteri, GħSL’s first representative, highlighted the importance for justice to be applicable equally to all members of society, barring no exception. He said that the Courts are our society’s safeguards to have a democracy based on the principles of justice and equality. Additionally, he said that the Courts provide society with the peace of mind to allow people to enjoy their lives.

“I am here because I believe in the Courts and those who work there,” he said.

GħSL’s Vice-President took to the stage next and as a law student, she gave background into the intricacies of magisterial inquiries to break down the Prime Minister’s arguments and explained how his recent criticisms are not sensible.

She told the crowd that it is normal for the process verbal in magisterial inquiries to last years given the numerous caps magistrate must wear in their profession, e.g., within the criminal court, civil court, etc.

Chetcuti Dimech thus clarified that a magisterial inquiry is not actually obliged to be completed within 60 days, in practice. Moreover, she said that no magistrate is tied to a 60-day timeframe since “it is obvious” that 60 days is not a long enough time period to conclude an inquiry in reality. She then proceeded to condemn Abela’s comments suggesting that the inquiry should have been completed within its 60-day period, describing that the “false interpretation” of this article was very damaging, especially coming from a lawyer.

Furthermore, she reiterated the call to let the judiciary function without interference and questioned how Abela’s comments could prove to affect the judicial process – especially in the scenario where a potential jury is called upon.

She concluded her speech by making reference to Abela’s own University dissertation, in which he had written about the importance that “a judge must be free from political pressures” and for him to heed his own words.

On behalf of KNŻ, Sarah Xuereb said that “it is important not to allow this situation to turn into a partisan one.” Xuereb also said that with elections being just a month away, now was not the time to turn against one another, but it is time to work for what’s best for Malta, Gozo, and its citizens.

She called for people to vote for the candidates whom people believe will improve their livelihood, “irrespective of which party they may derive from.” She also stated that “no party is entitled to manipulate the public on how they should use their vote.”

“Let’s critically use our vote,” she said, “Do not fall for partisan propaganda.”

The final speaker of this protest was GħSL President Andrew Drago.

Drago said that, while everyone is entitled to express their opinion, they must be careful to see whether certain discourse is coming from a journalist or political analyst or the Prime Minister. He described how in the latter case, the Prime Minister does not speak from an individual standpoint, but from the interest of their government and the State.

Thus, he argued that one cannot interpret the Prime Minister’s Monday discourse as one of a regular man’s opinion, but only that of a country’s highest official.

In this regard, he said that his organisation, GħSL, interpreted Abela’s comments as an official government position. Drago then said that through Abela’s comments, his organisation interpreted the government’s official position on this matter to be that the Court is against the people – a position which his organisation refuses to accept, he said.

“This is not an opinion apt for a liberal democratic country that is meant to enshrine the rule of law,” he said.

Concluding the final speech of the protest, Drago said that the Prime Minister has no right to be a check and balance to the Courts. Citing basic social studies, he stressed that the judicial branch has the final say through its checks and balances on political-legal decisions impacting a democratic country.

“We believe too much in the rule of law to let you get away with this,” he said.

Drago ended his speech with an appeal to Prime Minister Robert Abela and government: to realise that they must serve the State, not the political party they derive from.

“You are our servants,” he concluded.

This protest was endorsed by the Malta Law Students’ Society (GħSL), the University Student Council (KSU), Studenti Demokristjani Maltin (SDM), the Earth Systems Association (ESA), the Malta International Relations Student Association (MIRSA), Studenti Ħarsien Soċjali (SĦS), the Media & Knowledge Sciences Association (MKSA), JEF Malta, the National Youth Council of Malta (KNŻ Malta), the Malta Association of Dental Students (MADS), the Medical Biochemistry Students’ Association (MBSA), Betapsi Malta, the Junior Chamber of Advocates, the ICT Students’ Association (ICTSA), the Association of Students of Commercial Studies (ASCS), and the Malta Medical Students’ Association (MMSA).