Yesterday the Nationalist Party woke up from one of its slumbers to call for the right to the environment to be considered a ‘human right’ in the Constitution of Malta. The fact is that in Chapter II, Article 9 of the Constitution both the protection of the environment and protection from pollution are listed as principles.
ADPD has repeatedly called for these, and the other principles in Chapter II, to be enforceable by the courts. This would elevate our Constitution, whereby this Chapter is not just considered mere decoration and fluff, but is in line with the model of constitutional principles as applied in other countries.
ADPD – The Green Party Secretary General Ralph Cassar said: “The logical step is simple. The principles in Chapter II of the Constitution should become enforceable in court by deleting or amending Article 21 which states that ‘The provisions of this Chapter shall not be enforceable in any court’.”
“We had already made submissions in this sense to the Constitutional Convention which, due to a lack of goodwill from either the government or the opposition, or both, is conveniently for them in a state of limbo. We also reiterated the proposal in the 2022 electoral program.”
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that constitutional principles which remain unenforceable are to all intents and purposes just a dead letter. “In countries where constitutional principles are enforceable, civil society has made historic gains in courts, in areas such as the fight against climate change and air quality, for example. In the United Kingdom in 2015 the Supreme Court forced the Government to clean-up the air from nitrogen dioxide pollution from diesel vehicles which kills thousands of people a year. A Dutch Court, also in 2015, ordered the Government to reduce emissions affecting the climate by at least 25% in five years.”
“It is time to strengthen our democracy: it is disgraceful that in Malta the parliamentary parties have let really important principles be simply fluff in our Constitution. It’s high time that they stop tinkering with the Constitution. It is high time for them to get down to business and take the Constitutional reform seriously.”
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Il-prinċipji kollha ta’ Kapitolu II tal-Kostituzzjoni ta’ Malta għandhom ikunu esegwibbli bil-qrati
Il-Partit Nazzjonalista lbieraħ donnu stenbaħ u qal li jrid li d-dritt għall-ambjent għandu jkun meqjus bħala ‘dritt tal-bniedem’ fil-Kostituzzjoni ta’ Malta. Il-fatt hu li l-kostituzzjoni diġà ssemmi fost il-prinċipji f’Kapitolu II, Artikolu 9, sub-artikli (1) u (2), il-ħarsien tal-ambjent u l-ħarsien mit-tniġġis. Aħna diġà kemm-il darba għidna li l-prinċipji elenkati f’Kapitolu II tal-Kostituzzjoni m’għandhomx jitqiesu bħala tiżjin u kliem sabiħ imma għandhom ikunu inforzabbli mill-qrati bħal mal-prinċipji kostituzzjonali huma inforzabbli f’pajjiżi oħra.
Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Ralph Cassar qal: ”Li għandu jsir huwa li l-prinċipji f’Kapitolu II tal-Kostituzzjoni jsiru esegwibbli fil-qrati billi jitħassar jew jiġi emendat Artikolu 21 li jgħid li ‘Id-disposizzjonijiet ta’ dan il-Kapitolu ma jkunux esegwibbli f’xi qorti’.”
“Konna diġà għamilna sottomissjonijiet f’dan is-sens lill-Konvenzjoni Kostituzzjonali li minħabba nuqqas ta’ rieda tajba mill-gvern jew tal-oppożizzjoni, jew tat-tnejn li huma, mid-dehra mietet fuq ommha. Irrepetejna dan ukoll fil-programm elettorali tal-2022.”
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet li hu ta’ xejn li l-prinċipji kostituzzjonali jibqgħu biss fuq il-karta. “F’pajjiżi fejn il-prinċipji kostituzzjonali huma esegwibbli saru rebħiet kbar mis-soċjetà ċivili f’oqsma bħall-ġlieda kontra l-bidla fil-klima u l-kwalità tal-arja, per eżempju. Fir-Renju Unit fl-2015 il-Qorti Suprema ġiegħlet lill-Gvern inaddaf l-arja mit-tniġġis tad-dijossidu tan-nitroġenu minn vetturi diesel li joqtol eluf ta’ nies fis-sena. Qorti Olandiża, fl-2015 ukoll, ordnat lill-Gvern inaqqas l-emmissjonijiet li jaffettwaw lill-klima b’tal-anqas 25% f’ħames snin.”
“Huwa ta’ għajb li f’Malta l-partiti parlamentari jitnikkru fuq prinċipji li huma tassew importanti. Ilu li wasal iż-żmien li l-partiti fil-Parlament jieqfu joqgħodu jraqqgħu l-Kostituzzjoni. Ilu li wasal iż-żmien li jieħdu r-riformi meħtieġa fil-Kostituzzjoni u l-proċess tar-riformi bis-serjetà. Hekk tissaħħaħ id-demokrazija.”
