A Constitutional Court has overturned a decision to compensate the co-owners of a Valletta building housing the King’s Own Band Club, saying there was no human rights breach.

Madam Justice Anna Felice had awarded compensation amounting to €300,000 in 2013 when she found that the law did not allow the owners to raise the “extremely low” rent, which constituted a breach of their fundamental human right to enjoy their property.

The Attorney General had appealed, insisting no human rights had been violated because rent laws were there to protect the public interest.

The band club also appealed, insisting it had abided by the law and that it was not responsible for the legislation.

The Constitutional Court upheld the Attorney General’s argument and ruled there was no human rights breach.

The 25 co-owners of the property in Republic Street, which their ancestors had leased to the King’s Own Band Club in the 1940s, told the court the musical society used to pay £500 a year in rent, later raised to €1,165.

They insisted the rent was extremely low, especially when one took into consideration the cultural and architectural value of the place. However, existing rent laws did not allow them to demand a higher sum.

The Constitutional Court found no interference by the State, upholding the Attorney General’s argument that nothing had been introduced to interfere with the agreement struck between the parties when the club started renting out the premises. It, therefore, overturned the original judgment.

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