The absolute majority of lawyers who practise in Gozo have sent a petition listing the problems they encounter to the parliamentary secretary in the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici.

The petition was yesterday also presented to the Malta Labour Party spokesman for justice, Anglu Farrugia, by Dr Kevin Mompalau, on behalf of all Gozitan lawyers.

Addressing journalists outside the law courts building in Victoria, Dr Farrugia said that the Nationalist government seemed unwilling to take decisions that would improve the situation in the Gozo law courts.

It was impossible, Dr Farrugia argued, that after a court decision was handed down, the execution of the sentence given is not carried out whenever goods need to be sold by court auction. This was an important process, Dr Farrugia said, but it could not be held because there was a lack of means and staff, a matter that has been ignored by the government.

Dr Farrugia said that court summonses were not always being distributed in time, and this led to delays in the court process. The lack of court marshals aggravated the problem.

He added that the small claims tribunal in Gozo was being administered poorly, and sittings were being held for just one case to be heard when there were lists of cases that could be heard at the same sitting.

There should also be better coordination between the judiciary and the lawyers, while Dr Farrugia said it was not a good idea to have a court registry placed in the top floor of the building. No lifts existed and therefore access was limited, he complained. There were also parking problems that needed to be sorted out.

In a statement, the Chamber of Advocates noted the comments made and expressed its support.