Lawyer Franco Debono found reason to criticise the state of the law courts today when a chair he was resting against collapsed.

The incident happened as Dr Debono was representing a client in an arraignment before Magistrate Anthony Vella.

Dr Debono was standing up addressing the court when he rested a knee on the seat of a chair. The seat collapsed and Dr Debono ended up on one knee, hurting himself slightly.

When he stood up, he said this was an example of the bad state of the law courts.  Were this not a crying shame, it would be laughable, he told the court.

Maybe he should sue the minister for damages, he added jokingly.

It resulted that the chair was already broken and part of it was missing, although that had not been easily apparent.