Families and family law expert Ruth Farrugia addressed the audience during yesterday’s graduation ceremony for law professionals.
Focusing her address on family law, she said this is “certainly about law, but also about relationships”.
Dr Farrugia said family law is often accused of falling short of the rigidity usually associated with legal disciplines. It is about changing structures and policies that affect each of us directly or indirectly, she said.
“Amendments to the law must take into account changing family structures and seek to balance public interest with individual needs, both as a family unit and in the interests of each family member,” said Dr Farrugia.
Acknowledging the fact that this is no easy task, she said the tendency is to wait for the courts to determine applications which raise issues not regulated by legislation.
It is not easy for a judge who has to shed his or her own personal baggage in order to decide a case relating to issues that may be totally alien to his or her experience, in the
pursuit of justice, she said.
“This is what makes family law so vibrant and appealing. It is about real people, with real needs, turning to the law in the hope that rights within relationships will be improved, strengthened, or both.
“Family Law affects us all. Those of us who choose to practice it are privileged to be able to contribute towards a happier more just society, Dr Farrugia concluded.
Graduand representative Anjelica Camilleri De Marco spoke about ethics in legal practice. Quoting Lord Bolingbroke she said: “‘The practice of law, in its nature the noblest and most beneficial to mankind, is in its abuse an abasement of the most sordid kind’.”
Dr Camilleri De Marco said lawyers often face harsh
criticism because of this abuse as referred to by Lord Bolingbroke.
Certain lawyers may be unable to solve the moral dilemma related to the duty to society and the duty to clients, she said, adding that, as a result, the way lawyers act is a crucial element in the development of the legal process.
“While lawyers must be loyal to clients, this loyalty must be placed in a background of loyalty towards the court,” said Dr Camilleri De Marco.
The following is a full list of yesterday’s graduates:
Master of Arts in Financial Services
Sponsor: Prof. I. Refalo
Vanessa Agius, Robert Michael Aquilina, Adrian Cutajar, Yana Dai, Christian Paul Farrugia, Joseph Fenech, Marica Galea, Joseph Ghio*, Karl La Ferla*, Edward Licari, Lisa Lupi, Krista Pisani Bencini, James Paul Scerri Worley, Li Wang, Timothy Zammit
Master of Arts in Law
Sponsor: Prof. I. Refalo
George Cremona
Magister Juris in European and Comparative Law
Sponsor: Prof. I. Refalo
Graziella Attard, Thérèsienne Bezzina, Gertrude Anne Borg, Peter Borg Costanzi, Patrick Buhagiar, Pauline Debono, Denitza Dimitrova, Diane Speranza Fenech, Angie Muscat, Veronique Niessen, Karl Mario Sammut, Pamela Vassallo, Ian Vella Galea, Carlo M. Vigna
Magister Juris in International Law
Sponsor: Prof. I. Refalo
Jonathan Vella
Doctor of Laws
Sponsor: Prof. I. Refalo
Jonathan Abela Fiorentino, Edward Attard, Kevan Azzopardi, Samuel Azzopardi, Nicolette Balani, Leonard Bonello, Polina Bonello*, Amanda Borg, Keith Anthony Borg, Maria Clara Borg*, Caroline Brincat, Roberta Buhagiar, Trevor Mario Buhagiar, Gabrielle Buttigieg, Anjelica Camilleri De Marco, Kevin Camilleri Xuereb, Annalisa Caruana, Malcolm Cassar, Clarissa Cefai, Maurizio Cordina, Rita Criminale, Clarissa Cuschieri, William Cuschieri, Kevin Cutajar, Mark Cutajar*, Noel Cutajar, Johann Debono, Trevor Degiorgio, Andrew Ellul, Christian Falzon Scerri, Diane Farrugia*, Chantelle Marie Fava, Paul Felice, Abigail Galea, Alexianne Galea, George Galea, Priscilla Galea, Sabrina Galea, Alison Gatt*, Allan Gatt, John Ludovic Gauci, Larry John Gauci, Paul Gonzi, Marisa Grech, Sandra Grech, Jason Grima, Michelle Grima, Isabella Grixti, Anthony Hili, Kurt Hyzler, Simon Manicolo, Amanda Lisa Mercieca, Alexander Micallef, Francesca Micallef, Vincent Micallef, Joe Mifsud, Rachel Mifsud, Ken Mifsud Bonnici*, Berta Pisani Bencini, Lorraine Pulis, Enzo Joseph Refalo, Jeanine Rizzo, Mariella Said, Michela Sammut, Henry Saydon, Abigail Schembri, Alexander Schembri, Alexander Sciberras, Louiselle Spiteri, Mario Spiteri, Tania Spiteri, Ingrid Spiteri Bailey, Michael Stellini*, Josette Sultana, Nicholas Trapani Galea Feriol, Alexandra Vella, Charlene Vella, Donald Vella, Geoffrey Vella, Nicole Vella, Nicolai Xuereb, Rosette Xuereb, David Zahra, Antonia Zammit, Christian J. Zammit, Clare Zammit, Claudio Zammit, Silvana Zammit, Aaron Zammit Apap, Alexia Joy Zrinzo
* in absentia