Ten cabinet ministers showed up in court this morning to hear an appeal by the Labour Party in the parliamentary seats saga.

These are Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna, Health Minister Chris Fearne, Economy Minister Chris Cardona, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, Environment Minister Jose Herrera, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela and parliamentary secretaries Chris Agius, Deborah Schembri and Roderick Galdes.

It is very unusual for such a large number of cabinet ministers to turn up for a court sitting. The move was interpreted by the Nationalist Party as an attempt at intimidation. (The PL had criticised the PN for showing up in force to support former minister Jason Azzopardi in a criminal libel case earlier this year and accused it of trying to intimidate the courts). 

The shadow minister for justice, Jason Azzopardi, said it was unacceptable for a Justice Minister to be present “to exert pressure on the Constitutional Court.”

PN Leader Simon Busuttil was also present for today's hearing, told journalists after the sitting that the Justice Minister’s presence was “shocking” seeing that he was the one who appointed magistrates and judges. He said he was sure, however, that the court would ignore the “pressure.”

On the other hand, Minister Owen Bonnici said the PN sent its leader and shadow ministers but then expected him not to attend.

 

“What would they have said had I resorted to the theatrics of Simon Busuttil and his tough guys when Jason Azzopardi’s case was being heard?”

Back in May of this year, Madame Justice Lorraine Schembri Orland had ruled that the Electoral Commission should repair the mistakes that were committed during the vote counting process and award two additional seats to the Nationalist Party. The PL had appealed and the case is now being heard before three judges.

The PN insists that it lost the election by seven parliamentary seats not nine, and that this was a result of two mistakes on vote-counting day. It says that PN candidates Claudette Buttigieg and Frederick Azzopardi failed to be elected from the eighth and 13th districts respectively due to errors in the counting process.

Former PL Deputy Leader Toni Abela is no longer representing the PL in the extra seats case – lawyers Paul Lia and Robert Abela are.

The case has been put off for judgement on 7 November.