Freed of charge issued under repealed law

A Rabat woman was yesterday cleared of failing to provide her dog with a shelter and regular exercise after an appeal court ruled that the article under which she had been charged was no longer in force.

The Magistrates' Court had originally found Violet Debono, 21, guilty of failing to provide her dog with shelter and exercise on June 20, 2002.

The first court had ordered that she be detained for three days.

But Debono appealed claiming she could not have been found guilty since that article of the law had been repealed in 2001.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono upheld her appeal and cleared her of the charge.