Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. But personal attacks on members of the judiciary have no place in a modern democracy – given that a judgment is researched and given within the parameters of the law.
Even if one were to disagree with a ruling issued by the courts, they have every right to challenge it through legal means, and of course, even through print, blogs, internet and whatever tool one would like to use.
But the key here is disputing the judgment, not launching a personal attack on a judge. We are, of course, talking about Glenn Bedingfield’s blog here, who rounded on Madam Justice Lorraine Schembri Orland when she issued a judgment on Thursday, in which the court ruled that two seats should be given the Nationalist Party after there were mistakes in the counting process of the 2013 General Election.
Bedingfield went on to say that the Judge contested the election on the PN ticket (in 1992) and that instead of “getting the seat she wanted, she gave them two”.
This is wrong on so many levels. Malta’s judiciary has had its fair share of bumps and shakes, where trust was eroded due to members of the bench being corrupted through material offers. Since then, the judiciary has striven hard to regain the people’s trust, and it has.
Glen Bedingfield is not a blogger or a journalist, he is the Prime Minister's consultant, a former MEP, a candidate for the next general election on the PL ticket and he also presents programs on One TV and Radio.
His behaviour is unbecoming of the positions that he occupies, and the fact that he is blogging on state-paid time (paid by the general public) should be grounds for the Prime Minister to issue a cease and desist order immediately.
But it is definitely a case of two weights and two very different measures. In December 2012, as leader of the Opposition, Joseph Muscat forced Anglu Farrugia’s resignation. He was at the time a PL deputy leader. The PM cited his reasons for demanding that Dr Farrugia step down in the wake of comments he had made about magistrate Audrey Demicoli. He had described Dr Farrugia’s behaviour as “unacceptable, out of place and undermining one of the country’s highest institutions.”
The Prime Minister yesterday censured Mr Bedingfield’s comments, but also speaks of freedom of speech, and refers to a Bedingfield apology no-one seems to have noticed.
The Prime Minister already has two very large albatrosses around his neck; Mr Bedingfield and his blog could very well become his third.
They say that things come in threes, and this could very well eventually turn out to be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back.