Addressing a press conference in front of the Law Courts this morning ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons said that the statements by Robert Abela ‘that the institutions should be left to do their work serenely’ are futile if he tries to intervene where he should not as in the case of the judiciary. They were referring to what has been reported in the media during a speech at a political activity. The Prime Minister said that he had spoken to a Magistrate who told him that when harsh sentences are meted out these are then reduced by the Court of Appeal. The PM’s behaviour constitutes a threat to the independence of the judiciary in our country because it applies unacceptable pressure on it from the political and executive branch of the state.
ADPD Deputy Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that Robert Abela was right in complaining about sentences meted out in criminal cases, that many a time appear to be too lenient. But doing so in a partisan manner in a political party club – as he did last Sunday at the PL party club in Birkirkara – is not the right place where a Prime Minister should raise his preoccupation regarding a more consistent policy over sentences meted out by our Courts.
In a statement issued earlier this week ADPD had called for the President to bring this matter up for consideration by the Commission for the Administration of Justice. This should have been the course of action taken by the Prime Minister in a calm and measured manner. One must keep in mind that the Government is also a participant in this Commission through the appointment of one of its members by the Prime Minister himself.
Instead of letting the institutions do their work, the Prime Minister has chosen the partisan way that inevitably continues to increase the lack of trust in institutions instead of seeking to strengthen them as he is duty bound to do. This is not what one expects from a serious Prime Minister of a democratic country that adheres to the rule of law, concluded Gauci.
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that the judiciary should not receive any direction from the Government – whether this was made in a direct manner or in a subtle way. That is the reason why the Code of Ethics for the Judiciary demands that no member of the judiciary should speak directly with the Executive – cabinet members – but this should only be done as necessary in a formal manner through the Chief Justice. There is also the Commission for the Administration of Justice which is composed mainly of members of the judiciary and led by the President of the Republic. This commission is not just a formality!
Cacopardo reiterated his appeal to the President to call an urgent meeting of the Commission for Administration of Justice to take the necessary steps both to address the Prime Minister’s concern as well as the inappropriate behaviour by the Magistrate and the Prime Minister himself.
It is also disconcerting to think that if Robert Abela did not shy away from applying pressure on a Magistrate regarding sentencing, what other additional pressures are being made without public knowledge. Does who abuse once will be more inclined to continue to do so, more so if he feels that there will be no consequences. That is the reason why this matter demands urgent attention.
In Birkirkara Robert Abela also spoke about the conflict of interest that Members of Parliament in criminal law practice show when in Court they demand lenient sentencing and in Parliament speak about the “alarming” increase in criminality, their source of income. But this does not only apply to lawyers in criminal practice. It also applies to other professionals in parliament, as we have had the opportunity to see in several instances over time!
ADPD – The Green Party has been calling for Members of Parliament to dedicate themselves full time to parliamentary duties. Members of Parliament should not be allowed to have any other form of employment, whether paid or voluntary. This is the only way to address effectively the stark conflict of interest faced by Members of Parliament in the current system, concluded Cacopardo.
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L-indipendenza tal-ġudikatura mhedda
F’konferenza tal-aħbarijiet quddiem il-Qorti dalgħodu, kelliema tal-ADPD – The Green Party qalu li hu inutli li Robert Abela jisħaq li għandna nħallu lill-istituzzjonijiet jaħdmu, jekk, fis-siegħa tal-prova jipprova jindaħal fejn ma jesgħux kif għamel fil-konfront tal-ġudikatura. Dan b’riferenza għal dak li ġie rappurtat li qal f’diskors waqt attività politika: li tkellem ma’ Maġistrat li stqarret miegħu li meta jingħataw pieni ħorox mill-Maġistrati, hi l-Qorti tal-Appell li tnaqqas din il-piena. Dan l-aġir huwa ta’ theddida għall-indipendenza tal-ġudikatura f’pajjiżna, għax japplika pressjoni inaċċettabbli fuqha mis-setgħa politika.
Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Sandra Gauci qalet li meta l-mexxej Laburista Robert Abela indirizza lill-partitarji fil-Każin Laburista ta’ Birkirkara nhar il-Ħadd li għadda kellu raġun jilmenta li s-sentenzi f’kawżi kriminali, diversi drabi jidhru baxxi. Imma diskors partiġġjan f’każin ta’ partit politiku mhux il-post minn fejn Prim Ministru jwassal il-preokkupazzjoni tiegħu dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ politika iktar konsistenti dwar is-sentenzi li qed jingħataw mill-Qrati tagħna.
Fi stqarrija li ħriġna iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa, aħna bħala partit politiku tlabna lill-President tar-Repubblika biex il-materja tkun ikkunsidrata mill-Kummissjoni għall-Amministrazzjoni tal-Ġustizzja. Dan hu il-pass li jmissu ħa minn jeddu l-Prim Ministru, bil-kwiet u bil-kalma. Il-Gvern, wara kollox hu parteċipi f’din il-Kummissjoni għax wieħed mill-membri tagħha hu appuntat mill-Prim Ministru nnifsu.
Il-Prim Ministru flok ma jħalli l-istituzzjonijiet jaħdmu qed jagħżel it-triq partiġġjana li biha inevitabbilment qed ikompli jnissel iktar sfiduċja fl-istituzzjonijiet u dan flok ma jsaħħahom kif inhu fi dmir li jagħmel. Din mhix is-serjetà li nistennew minn Prim Ministru ta’ pajjiż demokratiku li jgħid li jirrispetta s-saltna tad-dritt, temmet tgħid Sandra Gauci.
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Carmel Cacopardo, qal li l-ġudikatura m’għandhiex tieħu ordnijiet mingħand il-Gvern – la ordnijiet ċari u lanqas ordnijiet b’mod sottili.
Għal din ir-raġuni, il-Kodiċi tal-Etika tal-Ġudikatura jesiġi li l-ebda membru tal-ġudikatura ma għandu jitkellem direttament mal-Eżekuttiv – il-membri tal-kabinett – imma dan, meta meħtieġ, jista’ jsir b’mod formali permezz tal-Prim Imħallef. Hemm ukoll il-Kummissjoni għall-Amministrazzjoni tal-Ġustizzja komposta fil-maġġoranza tagħha minn membri tal-ġudikatura u li hi mmexxija mill-President tar-Repubblika – li mhix qegħda hemm għall-parenza!
Cacopardo tenna l-appell tiegħu lill-President tar-Repubblika biex kif inhu dmiru jlaqqa’ b’urġenza l-Kummissjoni għall-Ammistrazzjoni tal-Ġustizzja biex jittieħdu l-passi meħtieġa immedjatament kemm dwar l-ilment tal-Prim Ministru kif ukoll minħabba in-nuqqas ta’ imġieba korretta kemm tal-Maġistrat kif ukoll tal-Prim Ministru innifsu.
Huwa ta’ tħassib ukoll li jekk Robert Abela ma iddejjaqx jagħmel pressjoni fuq Maġistrat dwar is-sentenzi, min jaf xi pressjoni addizzjonali tista’ tkun għaddejja u li dwarha m’hu jingħad xejn. Min ma jiddejjaqx jabbuża darba mhux ser jiddejjaq jibqa’ jabbuża, b’mod partikolari jekk ikun protett mis-skiet ta’ min hu kompliċi miegħu. Għalhekk meħtieġa azzjoni urġenti.
F’Birkirkara Robert Abela tkellem ukoll dwar il-kunflitt ta’ interess li Membri Parlamentari li jipprattikaw il-liġi kriminali li filwaqt li fil-Qrati jitolbu pieni baxxi, imbagħad imorru fil-Parlament jitkellmu dwar iż-żieda “allarmanti” fil-kriminalità, sors tal-għixien tagħhom. Imma dan ma japplikax biss għall-avukati li jipprattikaw il-liġi kriminali. Japplika ukoll għall-professjonisti kollha li huma membri parlamentari, kif kellna l-opportunità li naraw bosta drabi tul is-snin!
Għalhekk aħna ilna nisħqu li l-Membri Parlamentari għandhom jiddedikaw il-ħin kollu tagħhom għall-ħidma parlamentari. M’għandux ikun possibbli li Membri Parlamentari jibqgħu jagħmlu kwalunkwe xogħol ieħor, kemm jekk dan ikun imħallas kif ukoll jekk le. Dan hu l-uniku mod kif tista’ tindirizza b’mod effettiv il-kunflitt ta’ interess ovvju li jirriżulta illi Membru tal-Parlament hu espost għalih fis-sistema tagħna kif inhi illum, temm jgħid Carmel Cacopardo.
