Far rightist claims breakdown in democracy

Far rightist Norman Lowell, who had been found guilty of inciting racial hatred, yesterday described the fourth deferment of his constitutional judgment as a breakdown in democracy.

The judgment was meant to be handed down yesterday at the last sitting of outgoing Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano but it was put off to October 29 when the new Chief Justice, Silvio Camilleri would have taken over.

Mr Lowell had been given a two-year jail term suspended for four for speeches he had made in Rabat and Qawra in 2006. He had also been fined €500.

He appealed and the appeal was dismissed in October 2008 after it was found that his fundamental human rights had not been violated.

He submitted a constitutional application that was dismissed and Mr Lowell then filed a constitutional appeal.

Speaking outside the law courts, Mr Lowell’s lawyer, Emmy Bezzina, said the delay would be extended further as he would have to apply for the judgement to be delivered by someone other than Dr Camilleri, since the former Attorney General had prosecuted in the previous cases.

“Having a sentence put off four times is unheard of,” Mr Lowell said.

“The way I am being treated shows that Malta is a Third World country. This is a spineless and bankrupt island,” Mr Lowell said, adding that the only hope for the country was for people with moral fibre, like himself, to go to Brussels to help change the course of Europe and of Malta.

Dr Bezzina said that, because of this delay, he could not take the case to the European Court of Human Rights, which was a denial of his client’s rights.