The great British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had the reputation of doing what was necessary without cutting corners if that was in the public interest. Indeed, we football fanatics remember the enormous distress we all felt when she decided to ban British football clubs from participating in the then Champions Cup.

No, she did not do so because she had any personal grudge against football fans in general or, for that matter, against the fans of any particular club.

She did so because of a very small number of so-called ‘fans’ who, in the name of the greatest game in the history of sport, committed all sorts of crimes against the person and against property, particularly during football games or just after.

In other words, it was in the public interest to limit the enjoyment of a ‘hobby’ or a ‘sport’ so the image of a country be not spoilt by a number of hooligans who were betraying their country, their club and, above all, the sport they should have been promoting instead of tarnishing.

Thatcher, therefore, did not ban the entire enjoyment of football; neither did she classify all football players and fans as hooligans but she limited her action to stop there, where excesses were taking place.

This is what voters in Malta and Gozo need to understand in the run up to the so-called ‘spring hunting referendum’.

The referendum will not in any manner abolish hunting from Malta and Gozo. Much less is it intended to interfere in the enjoyment of any other type of sport or hobby by any other person in Malta and Gozo.

Neither is it demonising hunters in general or their very beloved sport.

The question is limited to only one particular exercise of hunting.

So there exists no justification whatsoever for campaigners in favour of spring hunting to allege that the freedom of sportspersons in general or hobby enthusiasts all over Malta is being threatened by the abrogative referendum. Such a contention is pure and utter rubbish.

If any doubt existed on the logic and correctness of this position it has now been completely removed by the document signed by a number of lawyers in conjunction with that champion of human liberties and fundamental human rights, namely Giovanni Bonello.

The referendum poses no threat to the freedom to practise sports or hobbies in general at all

Their conclusion is crystal clear:

“In conclusion, therefore, it is the professional, reasoned opinion of the lawyers and former judiciary hereunder listed that the fears being raised that regulated sports, hobbies and activities could be threatened or prejudiced by future attempts to have an abrogative referendum related to the legislation or regulation of people’s hobbies is totally without any basis.”

Let me be clear. This contribution is not intended to enter into the debate of whether we should vote Yes or No at the upcoming referendum. This we shall have time and opportunity to do as the campaign to abolish spring hunting progresses. What is being said is that when we come to vote, let us all do so with a very clear head on what we are voting on. Most certainly we are not voting on the right of each and every person in Malta to form associations to practise any hobby or sport.

In a liberal democracy such as ours, any person is free to do what they feel as long as it does not break the law or cause damage to others. Even the most sacred principles of individual fundamental human rights on which our entire democratic society is built declare that the State has no business interfering in our freedom of association for whatever legitimate purpose.

Yet, even the most fanatical of sports lovers needs to understand that one’s much loved sport or hobby is, after all, just that, namely, a sport and a hobby through which we may relax a bit from the stresses and troubles we face in our daily worries to earn a decent and honest living. All of us need a bit of space where we can cut ourselves off in nature through country walks or enjoy nature, what remains of it, or even pit our skills in sports on which our livelihood does not depend.

To transform such an attempt to have a space of free time to ourselves into a passion is legitimate but what is totally dangerous is to transform such a passion into a jihad to pressure our politicians with their vote at elections or, worse still, to misinform the voters on what we are going to vote.

One would expect our politicians from both sides of the political spectrum to have the guts which Thatcher had by not pandering to their jihad and reassure the entire electorate that this referendum poses no threat to the freedom to practise sports or hobbies in general at all.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.