The Institute of Maltese Journalists has welcomed the judgment by the European Court which found that the right to freedom of expression of The Times was breached when the Maltese courts found it guilty of defamation.
“It is a victory for all those who have freedom of expression at heart and for those who have fought and will continue to fight for the protection of freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights,” the institute said in a statement congratulating The Times for its victory.
In a landmark judgment this week Europe’s highest court found this newspaper’s right to freedom of expression was violated when the Maltese courts found it guilty of defamation after dismissing the evidence of eye witnesses.