Cohabitation among 15 Bills put on hold
Cohabitants and whistleblowers will have to wait until the next legislature for the legal protection they have been promised for years following the dissolution of Parliament.
Among Parliament’s unfinished business is also the ratification of the European Fiscal Compact agreed upon in March. The treaty, which introduces the imposition of balanced budgets on member states, will enter into force on January 1, provided 12 eurozone countries ratify it. So far, only 10 countries have done so.
The Government chosen at the next general election will now have to decide what business to carry forward from the 11th legislature to the 12th.
Among the Bills in the balance is one proposing better financial conditions for the judiciary through a reform of their pension system, which was criticised by the Labour Party.
There is also a related amendment to the Constitution, which would raise the retirement age of the judiciary to 68 from 65, which the Opposition had supported.
Bills amending the Acts relating to cultural heritage, the financial services sector and the Central Bank of Malta will also be dropped, along with proposed regulation for architects, lawyers and counsellors.
Bundled changes to the Civil Code and the Criminal Code, mostly the work of former Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici, will also be discarded.
Lastly, a detailed Bill intended to set up a centralised registry – proposed Transport Minister Austin Gatt – is another initiative that will be shelved, even though it had reached the final committee stage of the parliamentary process.
Meanwhile, a set of laws meant to be spearheaded by Dr Gatt will now never see the light of day, including those introducing a set of digital rights.
These were proposed in a White Paper last October in response to the EU-wide Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement (Acta), which was dropped following international controversy.
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John Zammit Ph.D.
Dec 11th 2012, 16:28
Franco Debono gralu bhal tal-proverbju: inqela' b'zejtu. Spicca.....intefah hafna ghax haseb li hu xi haga kbira u Gonzi tah wahda bil-labra u Franco sploda fix-xejn. Dak li jigrilu min joghla f'daqqa. Issa zgur li l-private members bill tieghu ma jistax jghaddi u allura ma sewa' ghal xejn fl-istorja politika ta' Malta.
P Micallef
Dec 11th 2012, 16:08
There was no justification for parliament to be adjourned for three months during the summer. In any case, government never wanted to enact the Cohabitation bill and the whistleblower Act. It continued to drag its feet on purpose. Therefore it is only government that is to blame for the non-enactment of these important laws.
John Scerri
Dec 11th 2012, 13:57
Cohabitation among 15 Bills put on hold....
Thanks to Dr Franco Debono and MPs of The MOVIMENT TA- PROGRESSISTI MODERATI SOCJALISTI Led by Dr. Muscat.
And Both had made a Huge fuss about a prolonged parliamentary adjourment for the summer holidays.
2 weights and 2 measures.
Now it's OK they got what they wanted ...no more grumbling ....Only 3 months , why worry ?
C Falzon
Dec 11th 2012, 13:50
And who's fault it is????? GONZIPN ghax baqa jkaxkar.
Michael McCharty
Dec 11th 2012, 13:20
Don't know why all this fuss if we have to wait for a few more months, in lieu that these bills are approved by our parliament, after all and as it was well said at the begining of this article, both bills together with other important ones were promised to us years ago by the PN government but with no outcome about the matters.
Mr Ernest Vella
Dec 11th 2012, 12:40
kull kliem partigjan huwa bla sens...issa elezzjoni!!! jista jitla PL u jista jitla PN...min jitla xorta ghalija rrid imur nahdem
Richard Mifsud
Dec 11th 2012, 12:02
The bills are not on hold cause of last night but because they were not taken care on in the past 4.5 years!!
Mark A. Sammut
Dec 11th 2012, 11:51
Why "never"? If the ideas were good (eg, Gatt's digital rights), they will be carried forward by the new govt.
If, on the other hand, the ideas were bad, then they will be discarded, as you argue, Mr Peregin. But that would ironically mean Debono was right. If the ideas were wrong, they would have been pushed only because of the incumbents.
I think we require clearer thinking here. Rgds.
A. Catania
Dec 11th 2012, 11:42
Well, they had all this year to implement them. They chose to have a long break during summer and ridicule the parliament for an entire year!
Mr Mike Farrugia
Dec 11th 2012, 11:35
I hope the next govt takes parliament more seriously and give us our money's worth.
Anthony A. Mifsud
Dec 11th 2012, 11:26
Don't blame Franco but blame that bight star GONZIPN...
Ninu
Christine vella
Dec 11th 2012, 12:19
Others are blaming the MLP. As if in history there were occasions when the opposition voted in favor.
Please choose the reason of your report below: