I was going to write about Christmas this time round and dispense with controversy for once, thinking this piece would be published on Christmas Day but forgetting The Times is not published on that day. But it is impossible to write just about Christmas and the New Year. The last weeks have been brimming with unexpected developments.

Some clients would ask me whether a particular judge or magistrate could be bribed- Austin Sammut

A judge resigned, a request has been made for a judge to be impeached, a party deputy leader resigned, a new deputy leader was elected, Franco Debono was sent to represent the Labour Party in a debate with Simon Busuttil. What drama – but truly exciting, were it not sad. And all this during the supposed Christmas truce. But apart from these dramatic events, the political parties still went on with their campaigns in some soft way or other.

I will not go into the judges’ cases because they are, so to say, sub judice. All I will say is that the sooner the Farrugia Sacco case is resolved one way or the other, the better.

Perhaps we can then slowly start to rebuild our confidence in our judicial system – no mean task indeed, since this system may have been irremediably undermined during the last 10 years.

I am told by my elders in the profession (and I recall receiving them myself many years ago – as a lawyer, not a judge, of course) of members of the judiciary returning unsolicited turkeys or sacks of potatoes which were sent to them as “Christmas presents” by persons being parties to litigation in their court rooms.

I remember that in the earlier years of my legal career, when I was fully taken up in litigation work, some clients would ask me whether a particular judge or magistrate presiding over his case of course could be bribed. I would retort vehemently: “Of course not. Forget it.” But would I say it now?

It is also interesting that Anġlu Farrugia’s resignation was supposedly and conveniently tied with his criticism of a magistrate regarding a decision in a corrupt practices case. Of course, we all know that that was not the real reason for Dr Farrugia being asked to resign by Joseph Muscat, but his comments certainly did not help to disperse or, at least, dissipate, the cloud hovering over the judiciary.

Louis Grech was elected deputy leader of the Labour Party. What with the full backing of his party leader and other potential candidates for the post being “discouraged” from contesting, Mr Grech was the only contender and, to boot, he only required 50 per cent plus one of votes cast – unlike in the Nationalist Party contest, where two-thirds of such votes cast are required, at least initially. But Mr Grech is there. I have known him well for many years and there is no doubt he is a valid and competent person to fill the deputy leadership post. It is also interesting to note that the two new deputy leaders both come from the European Parliament.

There is, however, a substantial age gap between Mr Grech and both Dr Muscat and Dr Busuttil – some 20 years. But will that matter? It might make a difference to our younger voters and particularly first timers. Otherwise, I have no doubt that this will not have any effect on general issues. Mr Grech is raring to go. There is some catching up he must do with Dr Busuttil, given that the latter has come out with a bang in the few weeks he has been in office, particularly in the Xarabank debate. It is certainly going to be an interesting duel now between the Gonzi-Busuttil and Muscat-Grech tandems. (Please note I am writing this before the Dissett debate)

Milied Flimkien and the traditional New Year greetings delivered the usual conciliatory messages of good will. It was encouraging to hear of common values and that disagreement, political or otherwise, was not the strict order of the day. How long will this last? Anybody’s bet.

But my bet is on the side of respect and civil behaviour by all in the campaign – at least compared to the contests of the past.

Concurrently, our President’s appeal for Malta to have two national days, rather than the ridiculous five, seems to have attracted a broad national consensus. There is no doubt that his choice was right: Independence and the Republic, the two constitutional milestones in our history.

Sette Giugno and La Vittoria are also significant and could remain as national feasts. March 31 is not of the stature of any of the other feasts, but if some people give it importance and like to pretend that it is as significant as the others then we can placate them.

After all, the departure of British forces from Malta was only Dom Mintoff’s way of trying to make up for not achieving independence himself – something which he could never forget or forgive. I encourage President George Abela to pursue his line of thinking.