Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi asked in Parliament this evening how, during a bomb warning this morning, the law courts building was not evacuated.

He said that as soon as the warning was received, an order was issued to evacuate the building. Four minutes later, a counter-order from the secretariat for justice laid down that there would be no evacuation and it was business as usual.

Dr Azzopardi asked Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia if this was a new kind of decision. Granted that it was a time-saver but still very dangerous. One could only be sorry once.

Dr Mallia said he would never endanger the lives of people. During his long years of practice as a lawyer such threats were the order of the day, and even members of the courts’ administration team had been of the opinion that business should go on as usual.

He could even remember instances in which, although people were evacuated, trials by jury had gone on unhindered on the order of the sitting judge, and there had never been any incident.

Parliamentary Secretary Owen Bonnici said the procedure which was followed was not new.

The authorities, he said, now had means to identify hoaxes and they were careful to ensure that such methods were not used to hold up procedures.

He offered to give more details to Dr Azzopardi privately, and later was seen to cross the floor for a chat with the Nationalist MP.