The Nationalist Party has called on the Prime Minister to immediately take action on the impeachment motion of Judge Lino Farrugia Sacco following yesterday’s court ruling that the judge’s human rights and rights to a fair hearing were not breached with the second impeachment.

In a statement, PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami said that unless he took immediate action, the Prime Minister would be destroying the people’s confidence in the courts.

He recalled that, some weeks ago, the Speaker gave a ruling in which he said that court procedures should not halt Parliamentary work.

The Prime Minister’s statement that he was going to give the judge time to decide on his next step undermined the Speaker’s decision.

Dr Fenech Adami said it was evident that the government’s plan was to lengthen the process until the judge retired without justice having been done.

It was useless for the government to speak about reforms in the justice sector when with his words and actions he was undermining the credibility of the same institution.

It was important more than ever before that the public enjoyed confidence in the judiciary, Dr Fenech Adami stressed.

He said the Prime Minister should be serious and stop trying to undermine such an important institution.

GOVERNMENT STATEMENT

In another statement, the government appealed to the Opposition to show maturity and stop turning the issue into a political ball.

It said the Opposition knew that those who made serious allegation of breach of human rights in Parliamentary committees presided by members of the Opposition were given the opportunity to go to Court for a decision to be taken on whether the allegation where valid or not. This was what was happening in this case.

The Opposition also knew that the first court judgment was not yet final as it could be appealed according to law.

The government hoped the procedures would be concluded shortly.