Urgent court business forced lawyer bypass security arrangements

Lawyer Toni Abela chose to ignore security procedures when entering the law courts after a bomb scare last Friday because he was in a hurry to file a client's note of pleas before the court registry closed and the time window for the document's admissibility expired, a court heard.

Although Magistrate Michael Mallia understood the lawyers' concern towards his client, he also noted that court regulations existed to ensure the public's safety and had to be observed.

For this reason the magistrate fined Dr Abela Lm50 for failing to abide by security procedures when he entered the law courts, from the exit, while people were queuing to enter the building following a bomb scare.

The magistrate heard how the director general of the law courts proceeded against Dr Abela for breaching security procedures at the courts.

He also heard Dr Abela explain that his behaviour had been the consequence of an "unusual day" as there had been a bomb scare that led to the evacuation of the law courts. When people were allowed back into the courts, almost two hours later, the court registry was about to close. Dr Abela had to present a note of pleas on behalf of a client by midday that day or there was a chance the note would be thrown out.

Due to the consequences that the late application could have had on his client, the lawyer chose not to abide by the security procedures and enter the law courts irregularly.

In his ruling, the magistrate noted that in this situation there was a balance to be maintained. On the one hand the magistrate understood Dr Abela's concern towards his clients, but he also understood that the procedures in place were aimed at ensuring public safety.