A claimant to a barony yesterday filed a constitutional case claiming that he was denied the right to a court hearing in violation of his fundamental human rights.

Philip Bugeja Viani filed his application against the Attorney General. He said that his late mother held the title of Baroness of Tabrija and that, after her demise in 2000, he had requested the Committee of Privileges of the Maltese Nobility to recognise him as Baron of Tabrija.

But the committee had informed Mr Bugeja Viani, in July last year that his request was to be denied and that Corinne Ramsay Scicluna was to be recognised as Baroness of Tabrija. Mr Bugeja Viani said that the Gieh Ir-Repubblika Act specifically provided that no public authority could recognise, in any manner, a title of nobility.

As a result, he was being deprived of his right to have recourse to the courts to contest the committee's decision.

The Gieh Ir-Repubblika Act specifically precluded the courts from deciding upon cases of recognition of titles of nobility.

This, said Mr Bugeja Viani, was in violation of his fundamental human right to have recourse to the courts.

It was also in violation of his right to an effective remedy.

Lawyer Tonio Azzopardi acted for Mr Bugeja Viani.

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