Activists belonging to the pressure group Rezistenza Malta are questioning the promotion of two magistrates announced by the government yesterday, affixing a poster to the gates of the law courts to express their disdain.

Their objections are for different reasons as one of the magistrates, Anthony Vella, was conducting the inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, meaning that the job will pass on to another magistrate with the consequential delays.

The second objection is to the promotion of Consuelo Scerri Herrera to judge, with her original nomination being rejected by the Commission for the Administration of Justice only for the decision to be overturned with the change of the Chief Justice.

The activists, from the Reżistenza Malta protest group, hung up a poster of Justice Minister Owen Bonnici destroying ‘Lady Justice’ - the famous symbolisation of how justice should be blind.

“The Attorney General, the Police Commissioner and [Deputy Police Commissioner] Silvio Valletta have just filed an appeal against the judgement made for Valletta to be removed from the assassination investigation on the grounds that the inquiry is being led by a magistrate rather than the deputy commissioner,” Reżistenza said. “Yet the same inquiring magistrate is to be promoted to judge, with the consequence that the inquiry will be headed by a different magistrate. It is evident that the letter of the law is being used to break its spirit when outcomes are not favourable to the government and its agents."

"The mask is off and the face of this regime is revealed for all to see and it is not the face of democracy. The situation is indeed desperate. Our nation deserves much better.”

 “What legitimate reason could there be for the acceptance of Consuelo Scerri Herrera for promotion to judge after an identical request made in January 2017 was turned down by the Judicial Appointment Committee?” they asked. “The reason for the denial remains as before, the only changes being the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the retirement of Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri.”