Pro-divorce campaign protagonist Deborah Schembri has been reinstated to work on annulment cases before the Ecclesiastical Tribunal.

The news was communicated to her yesterday morning in a phone call by Archbishop Paul Cremona, OP. She is to meet him on Monday, The Malta Independent has learnt.

“I am very glad to announce that I am once again taking Ecclesiastical Tribunal annulment cases after having been given the news this morning, by His Grace the Archbishop, that I am reinstated in the Album of Ecclesiastical Advocates,” Dr Schembri wrote on Facebook yesterday afternoon. “Thank you all for your support throughout this ordeal. Much appreciated.”

Dr Schembri had been removed from the list when she joined the campaign for the introduction of divorce. In comments to this newspaper, she emphasised that the support she received was overwhelming.

She is very happy to be able to work before the tribunal once again because the decision to bar her was unjust for her and her clients.

“Now everyone can have a lawyer of his or her choice,” she said.

While proceedings before the tribunal take long, some of her clients still had chosen new lawyers to represent them while others preferred her to continue appearing for them and their cases were pending.

During the pro-divorce campaign, which she led, Dr Schembri had never disputed the belief that marriage under the Roman Catholic Church is indissoluble but contended that divorce was a civil matter and should not be put in the same basket with Church beliefs.

While the divorce debate was going on but after Dr Schembri’s dismissal, it was emphasised that lawyers appearing in divorce cases would not be barred from practising before the Church tribunal.

Until yesterday, Dr Schembri’s case remained pending and the Church did not comment about it.

In a statement, the Labour Party, on whose ticket Dr Schembri will be contesting the next general election, expressed satisfaction at the Curia’s decision.

It added the Ecclesiastical authorities’ decision augurs well and is an expression of goodwill for social unity.