Magistrate Neville Camilleri yesterday berated lawyers and policemen for coming to court 15 minutes late, saying that for efficiency to become a reality “they all had to pull the same rope”.

The magistrate made the remarks as the murder case got under way.

At precisely 9.15 a.m. the magistrate exited his chambers to find just one lawyer, Franco Galea, and five reporters waiting for the case to begin.

So he postponed proceedings.

At 9.30 a.m. he entered the courtroom again where he found Police Inspector Trevor Micallef and lawyers Giannella de Marco and Noella Sciriha, as well as the two defendants.

The magistrate asked the inspector why the delay had occurred. It was the lift that brought the accused up from the cells, the inspector replied. It had broken down. The magistrate quipped that it would not take three minutes to walk up to the courtroom from the outside of the court building.

Everyone had to pull the same rope if the court was to function efficiently, he said.

And the excuse that people had to appear before other magistrates did not hold water since only two magistrates were holding proceedings that day.

He added that what he was saying applied to everyone including the accused.