Please allow me to make two brief comments to two points raised by Dr Austin Bencini, director and, I believe, legal adviser to The Times in an article he penned in the same The Times on

7 April.

First, he wrote that Dom Mintoff “was heavily against divorce”. I challenge him to prove this! How could Mintoff be against such a civil right when it was he who introduced civil marriage?

Second, Dr Bencini appealed to the “very respectable Labour old guard to stick to the present and preferably with more than one eye to the future”. If anyone is looking “old guard”, it is Dr Bencini, whose arguments are reminiscent of those heard during the politico-religious dispute of the infamous 1960s!

As to keeping “one eye to the future”, may I remind Dr Bencini of what Dr Lawrence Gonzi said in Parliament. He categorically said that although he saw no need for the introduction of divorce at present, he thinks that “in future (there’s your “one eye to the future”, Dr Bencini!) divorce may have to be introduced”!

If divorce is wrong today, it would be wrong in future. If, on the other hand, according to our Prime Minister, divorce will be right and needed in future, then it is also right and needed today. After all, it is always better to tackle a growing problem as early as possible before it becomes an overwhelming one!

Eddy Privitera

MOSTA