President Emeritus Sir Anthony Mamo celebrated his 98th birthday yesterday.
Sir Anthony, who had a distinguished career in the legal profession, received a visit from the current President and Mrs Fenech Adami at Casa Arkati in Mosta.
Born at Birkirkara on 9 January 1909, he was educated at the Archbishop’s Seminary and later at the Royal University of Malta where, in 1931, he graduated as Bachelor of Arts (BA) and, in 1934, as Doctor of Laws (LL.D).
In October 1936, he was appointed a member of the Commission which, under the chairmanship of Judge Harding, was entrusted with the task of preparing a Revised Edition of all the Laws of Malta – a task that took six years to complete.
In 1942, Dr Mamo entered the Attorney-General’s Office as one of the Crown Counsel. Here he occupied all the grades, in succession, until he himself became Attorney-General in 1955.
Sir Anthony served under four Prime Ministers: Sir Paul Boffa, Dr Enrico Mizzi, Dr George Borg Olivier and Dom Mintoff – as chief legal adviser to them personally and to their Cabinets.
In 1957, Sir Anthony was appointed Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal. In 1964 Sir Anthony became the first President of the New Constitutional Court and in 1967 he became also the first President of the new Court of Criminal Appeals.
He was awarded the OBE in 1957 and a knighthood in 1959. In 1955, he was appointed Honorary QC for Malta.
Towards the end of June, 1962, when Admiral Sir Guy Grantham ended his term as governor, the Queen, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, George Borg Olivier, appointed Sir Anthony Acting Governor, pending the arrival of the new Governor, Sir Maurice Dorman.
From then onwards, on several occasions Sir Anthony acted as Governor’s Deputy, and later, under the Malta Independence Constitution, as Acting Governor-General.
On 3 July 1971, Sir Anthony was appointed the first Maltese Governor-General.
He held office as the first President of Malta between 13 December 1974 and 26 December 1976.
Source: Department of Information