An article penned by minister Joe Mizzi more than 10 years ago in which he accused the Nationalist administration of looking for "quick solutions" to a water crisis did not spread false news, a court has ruled. 

Mr Mizzi, who currently serves as minister for Energy and Water Management, was cleared of charges filed by Michael Falzon, who was chairman of the Water Services Corporation when the article appeared back in June 2007. 

In the article, titled 'Water crisis', Mr Mizzi had argued that the PN government seemed to be “desperately looking for non-existent quick solutions” after ignoring a water crisis for 20 years. 

Mr Falzon had subsequently filed criminal action against both Mr Mizzi and the editor of the Times of Malta, arguing that the article was tantamount to spreading false news intended to alarm the public.

Magistrate Joseph Mifsud, who was assigned the case in October of this year, lamented the "unnecessary delay" in the proceedings.

The court also observed that the proceedings against the editor of the Times of Malta had resulted in an acquittal.

READ: The 2007 article which led to the court case

It was not the judiciary's role, the magistrate said, to reflect public opinion.

"Perhaps the main duty of the court is to lead public opinion,” observed magistrate Mifsud, quoting from case-law cited by former chief justice Vincent Degaetano.

The prosecution had accused Mr Mizzi of spreading false news. For that accusation to subsist, it had to prove the criminal intent behind the article and the potential public alarm it had resulted in, the court continued.

In this case, the prosecution had produced no evidence of any public unrest or violence instigated by the news featured in Mr Mizzi's article, leading the court to clear the current minister of charges.