The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has welcomed two decrees in its favour from the First Hall of the Civil Court against land-owners who separately presented a prohibitory injunction to stop it from taking direct action against illegalities on their respective sites.

These two decisions were handed down by Mr Justice Mark Chetcuti. They followed on a landmark decision taken earlier this year by the Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri.

All three decisions ruled that contravenors of any illegal development do not have a right to present to the courts a prohibitory injunction against Mepa, in cases were the authority is carrying out direct actions according to the provisions of the law.

This ruling applied both in cases were the contravenors would have exhausted all the provisions given by law and even in cases were the person opted not to.

"The authority positively welcomes these decisions as they lessen the obstacles for the enforcement directorate within Mepa to continue to effectively and decisively carry out direct action operations against land owners that ignore the environment and planning regulations," it said.