A circus organiser protested in court today that despite winning two cases before different tribunals, he was being prevented from setting up a circus on the car park of the Granaries in Floriana.

Johan Said, who filed a judicial protest this afternoon, also said that the circus animals were currently temporarily housed in a pen in Coprradino where they were exposed to the weather in circumstances which could be physically detrimental to them.

In the protest against Police Commissioner John Rizzo, Mr Said said he first sought a permit in January 2012 but it was rejected by the Commissioner, who said that Transport Malta had objected because of the impact which the circus would have on parking availability in Floriana.

An appeal was filed before the Police Licences Appeals Tribunal and it was upheld on November 6.

Nonetheless, the permit was not issued, with the Commissioner saying that further to the objection by Transport Malta, a new policy laid down that open spaces in Floriana, including the Granaries, were not to be occupied by circus operators.

An appeal was filed before the Administrative Law Review Tribunal, and again it was upheld, the decision being taken yesterday.

Following that decision, Mr Said said he had sought a reduction of the 20-day appeal period since waiting for all that time would mean that the time when the circus was supposed to be put up would have elapsed.

The Commissioner had objected.

As a result, Mr Said said, despite having had his two appeals upheld, he was still not being allowed to exercise his right to set up the circus on the parking site at the Granaries.