Green Party backs divorce case

Alternattiva Demokratika is supporting a lawyer who plans to institute a constitutional court case against the government which, she holds, is denying her the right of respect for family life by not allowing divorce.

The AD said it fully supported the case, which Lynn Zahra plans to institute soon.

Arnold Cassola, the party's spokesman on EU and international affairs, said Maltese and EU citizens residing in Malta were being discriminated against because they did not have access to divorce.

AD chairman Michael Briguglio said: "AD gives total political support to Dr Zahra's court case and we applaud her for her courage which is inspirational to thousands of other people in a similar situation."

Dr Zahra has lived with former Labour Cabinet Minister Joe Grima for more than 20 years and they have a child but, she complains, their family is not recognised as a legitimate unit, socially or legally.

She will file the case in October, based on various legal arguments, but has "no illusions" of winning in the Maltese courts. In fact, her aim is to take it to the European Court of Human Rights where she is certain Malta would finally be "forced" to allow couples from broken marriages the right to divorce. She hopes about 30 people will join her in her legal battle so they can share the expenses.