The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Louis Galea, yesterday ruled that Nationalist MP Ċensu Galea had not had his own pecuniary interests in mind when he had referred to the inordinate delay in judgments on libel cases in Maltese courts.

The ruling had been requested by Opposition whip Joe Mizzi.

During last Wednesday's parliamentary sitting, Mr Galea asked Justice Minister Carm Mifsud Bonnici if he could take the necessary steps to radically change the laws on libel cases, since the current system allowed not only them but almost all lawsuits to drag on at the whim of the accused party. He asked whether the minister could see that there be established a definite term in which such cases should be finalised.

In his question Mr Galea cited a case in which he himself was involved, and in which the defendant's lawyer even claimed that he had brought the wrong file.

Mr Mizzi spotted "pecuniary interests" in this, maintaining that these emanated from the fact that if Mr Galea won the libel suit he stood to be awarded a sum of money.

Mr Speaker ruled that the case in which Mr Galea was involved was not the subject of the parliamentary question. Mr Galea was asking in general about the exaggerated delays in finalising lawsuits in Maltese courts. Besides, the main aim of any libel suit was to vindicate the plaintiff's fame, integrity, character and honesty, rather than the liquidation of monetary considerations.

Indeed, what Mr Mizzi had objected to was a declaration, albeit not necessarily needed, for the question to be better understood.