Magistrate Clare Stafrace Zammit has ordered that blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia be escorted to court after she did not turn up for a libel hearing on Tuesday morning.  The Magistrate noted that this was the second time that Ms Caruana Galizia had not turned up.

The case was instituted by Edgar Bonnici Cachia who felt libelled by a blog titled “The Labour Party: a hitman for a candidate”.

The case has now been put off to November 19. Dr Joe Zammit Maempel, is Caruana Galizia’s defence for this case.

In a statement to the media, Mrs Caruana Galizia said that she “wasn't there because I didn't know about it. This is not a civil case. It is a police prosecution for the legal archaism of criminal defamation. The police are required at law to notify defendants of each and every sitting.

“I did not receive the legally required police notification.

“The magistrate was not in a position to know this because by definition I was not there to say so.

“I will therefore be filing an application against the ruling, specifying the failure of the police to notify me.

“Nor is it correct to say that I failed to turn up to the first hearing. It took me an hour to drive into Valletta and park that morning rather than the usual 40 minutes. I arrived 20 minutes late and the case had been called already, because the court was particularly efficient that morning. My lawyer, Joe Zammit Maempel, can confirm that I did arrive for that first hearing, only late.

“So yes, technically and in the eyes of the court I failed to turn up, but in reality I actually did go. I had no other reason to be in Valletta that morning. The impression being given is that I simply took a cavalier decision not to turn up. This is wrong,” Mrs Caruana Galizia said.