Nave and altar glistened white and gold as choral voices intoned the Te Deum but the celebratory mood of yesterday’s Independence Day Mass at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta was somewhat marred by the conspicuous absence of Malta’s judiciary.

Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri, the sole representative of the judicial branch of government, cut a solitary figure among the legions of dignitaries present.

This was the second consecutive state ceremony in which members of the judiciary failed to make an appearance, following Victory Day Mass earlier this month.

Judges and magistrates are reportedly unhappy with their working conditions and salaries. They have been reluctant to speak to the media about the issue although on Tuesday one magistrate described his own long-standing absence at such remembrance Masses as a boycott.

Other members of the judiciary anonymously voiced their dissatisfaction with the conditions. One judge said that they were treated like “non-entities, if not punching bags” and kept in the dark unless they advertised their political allegiances.

Recently retired judge Philip Sciberrras criticised the existing judicial system, suggesting it needed a “complete overhaul”. The judiciary, he had claimed, had become “the Cinderella of the system”.

“Judges’ disgruntlement has been around for quite some time,” Mr Justice Sciberras told The Times. “If they have taken the collective action not to attend key national ceremonies, I am sure that this is the first in a series of actions that they might decide to pursue further on.”

When contacted, other judges and magistrates would neither confirm nor deny that their no-show at ceremonial events constituted a boycott.

Archbishop Paul Cremona had some choice metaphors in the homily he delivered before the President, Prime Minister and the rest of the congregation.

Quoting from Jesus’ denunciation of the Pharisees, Mgr Cremona warned against making empty promises. “They have only words, not facts,” he read.

He went on to quote various snippets from the passage: “Everything they do is done for the people to see”; “they love the place of honour at banquets”; “but you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness”; “first clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will also be clean”.

The Archbishop spoke of the “moral responsibility” that came with independence. The independence of a country, he said, depended largely upon the solidarity of its citizens. Malta’s independence was an amalgamation of “the personal responsibility of each and every one of us”.

Independence Day ceremony

Tourists cluttered the cathedral entrance throughout the Mass, cooing at the cathedral’s splendour and whipping out digital cameras to get a snapshot of the ceremony. Officials bustled around, politely reminding onlookers to turn off their camera flashes before taking any photos.

After the Mass, ceremonial activities shifted to the Independence Monument in Floriana, where President George Abela and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi each laid a flower bouquet at the foot of the monument. The ceremony included a parade by the Guards of Honour as well as a 21-gun salute.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.