Dr Mark Said writes:

I will long remember ‘Peppinu’ as the heir to a weighty legacy, a champion for those who had none, the soul of judicial discretion with a humanitarian face, a man who graced many important events and penned memorable judgments and speeches.

But those of us who loved him, and ache with his passing, knew magistrate and former parliamentary secretary Joe Cassar by the other nickname he held: ‘Peppinu’.

I, like so many others of the legal profession to which he belonged for nearly half a century, knew him as a colleague, a mentor and, above all, as a friend. Just two days before he crossed the bar he had called at my office, as was his habit to regularly do in my regard, to see how I was faring. We also found time to share some intelligent humour and review the latest updates of his archaeological and historical research studies relating to his home town, and which he had long been planning to publish for posteriority’s sake. I sincerely augur that his research will eventually see the light of day and be published. His unsung spirit of resilience and good humour saw Peppinu through more pain and tragedy than most of us will ever know.

He was a product of an age when the joy and nobility of politics prevented differences of party and platform and philosophy from becoming barriers to cooperation and mutual respect – a time when adversaries still saw each other as patriots.

He did it by hewing to principle, yes, but also by seeking compromise and common cause – not through deal-making and horse-trading alone, but through friendship, and kindness and humour. I know this because I worked closely with him for a good number of years.

I recall him lecturing me to discourage litigation: “Persuade contestants to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be enough business,” he used to tell me.

Another rare teaching of his that stuck with me to date is that the power of the lawyer is in the uncertainty of the law.

I will certainly miss his giving heart as well as his distinctly strong and deep voice which overflowed with conviction.

It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men angels. ‘Peppinu’, as a politician, as a legislator, as a lawyer, as a judging person and, above all, as an ordinary human, undoubtedly falls within the latter category.