A family whose court cases are still dragging on decades after having been filed has been awarded €12,000 in compensation by a judge, who appealed for more resources to be given to the judiciary.

The family had filed a civil case in 1970, another in 1982 and was the defendant in a case filed in 1971. The cases are over business matters. The family had then instituted yet another case in 1990.

But none of these cases had yet been decided and the family complained about the delays and the fact that one of the court files had been lost.

The family – Joseph, Carmel, Miriam, Paul, William, Speranza and Philip Gatt and Alexandra Caruana – filed a constitutional application against the Attor-ney General, claiming it was entitled to compensation.

Mr Justice Anthony Ellul ruled there was no doubt the cases were taking far too long.

Numerous factors had contributed to the delays. Experts had to be appointed to assist the court, there had been delays in holding sittings, no evidence had been produced by the parties for years, and there had been delays in paying court experts.

The Gatt family had also failed to attend a number of court sittings, thereby contributing to the delays.

However the courts were bound to ensure that proceedings were expedited, the judge said.

He added, however, that it was easy for an outsider to the legal system to criticise the manner in which court proceedings were conducted.

It was a reality that each judge had a large number of pending cases to decide on.

This was not an excuse but a request for more resources for the judiciary, Mr Justice Ellul said.

The court ruled that the family’s fundamental human right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time had been violated and awarded it compensation.