Former PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier has hit out at Mr Justice Wenzu Mintoff’s appointment saying that “a judge must not only be impartial in his actions but must instil the comfort of impartiality both within and outside the courtroom”.

“His scales of justice have been flipped and his eyes are blackened by partisan partiality and by personal grudges. He can be made judge by all prerogatives, but he can never be my judge,” Dr Borg Olivier wrote on facebook.

Mr Justice Wenzu Mintoff, left, and Dr Paul Borg Olivier.

Saying that he will not be attending Mr Justice Mintoff's inaugural sitting, Dr Borg Olivier accused Mr Justice Mintoff of colluding with the Labour Party till the last hours of his appointment.

He wrote: “Judge Mintoff is no symbol of justice, as he should be. He is the subject of extreme prejudice, of excessive pique and of demeaning actions in more than one way towards his colleagues in both the political and legal field. The comfort of impartiality is extinguished and cannot be revived.”

Mr Justice Mintoff, Dr Borg Olivier wrote, was stained “by his vicious attacks against the Nationalist Party, its members and many of those who crossed his path.

“As an opinion-maker and editor of Labour’s newspaper, Judge Mintoff used his pen, microphone and decisions to twist and manipulate information for partisan political gain.”

“Judge Wenzu Mintoff will not see me on the first day he steps into the courts.  I will not turn up to his first pompous sitting… I will not participate in this act of hypocrisy. It is a slap in the face of justice.”

Dr Borg Olivier said that Mr Justice Mintoff could never give him or his clients the comfort of absolute impartiality when appearing before him.