Chilling the courts

Reference is made to Dr Joe Brincat's piece entitled "Hot flushes and lies" (The Sunday Times, July 29).

I would have preferred to start off in my position as director general in a silent mode but Dr Brincat's article merits to be rebutted yet again.

As stated in my predecessor's reply, the Courts of Justice Division has requested funds for next year to scrap the 40-year-old air-chilling system and install a new, modern air-conditioning system in its place.

This exercise will mean, as stated in the director general's previous reply, that all halls in the First Hall of the Civil Courts, which include Halls 15 to 19 mentioned by Dr Brincat, will have new air-conditioners installed.

This year halls on the ground floor, where magistrates preside, had the old chillers replaced by new air-conditioners and the decision to start off with these halls was motivated by the fact that these courts invariably continue to operate during the hot summer months.

I would presume, however, that Dr Brincat is aware of this as he has been practising at the law courts for quite a number of years now.

Moreover he was also Minister for Justice for some time when, apart from trying "in vain to push for a simpler and cleaner dress code which is appropriate without being casual" he could have financed the revamping of the courts' whole air-conditioning system.

Hall 5, also mentioned by Dr Brincat, although situated on the ground floor, did not benefit from this year's upgrading exercise of the air-conditioners in the Inferior Courts because the magistrate who normally presides in this hall requested the courts' administration to retain the old air-chilling system in his hall.

I was glad however to read that Dr Brincat found time to tour certain halls. It is a pity that he has yet not found time to visit all the other air-conditioned areas mentioned by the former director-general Vanni Galea. Had he done so, he would have probably avoided having hot flushes.