Mr Speaker Anġlu Farrugia referred to the editorial of Times of Malta carried in yesterday’s edition titled ‘Impeachment turns into a farce’.

He referred in particular to the paragraph which said that “the Attorney General has already given written advice in a past impeachment case that a motion can carry over from one legislature to the other.

“The Speaker back then, Dr Gonzi as it happens, ruled, citing Erskine May, that impeachments are among the very few proceedings that are not quashed at the end of a legislature.”

Dr Farrugia pointed out that he had never requested the advice of the Attorney General and that when Lawrence Gonzi served as Speaker of the House, he had never given a ruling on impeachment proceedings.

The editorial was quoting an extensive 1996 memorandum issued by Dr Gonzi on procedural aspects that needed to be considered by the House Business Committee for the House to properly regulate itself on impeachment motions.

Dr Gonzi quoted Erskine May: “The effect of a prorogation is at once to terminate all the current business of Parliament. Not only are the sittings of Parliament at an end, but all proceedings pending at the time are quashed, except impeachments by the Commons, and appeals before the House of Lords.”