Noel Grima writes in last week’s newspaper that libel cases never settle anything, because they take so long to be decided.

Maybe in most cases that is so. But in this case, relating to the claim by the PN that Labour would freeze the minimum wage, that should not be the case.

And there is a precedent. There has been a court case that was settled in record time – I have in mind the case of then parliamentary secretary Chris Said, who was accused of perjury. Dr Said is today Justice Minister, no less. His case was settled in days, though cases that, by their nature, are far more urgent, such as separation cases, can take 12 years and more to be concluded.

The factor which saw the judiciary settling Dr Said’s case in such an extraordinarily short time was the Prime Minister’s interference in the workings of the law courts: so much for the law courts’ independence. Lawrence Gonzi asked the judiciary to conclude the case urgently, so that Dr Said would rejoin the Cabinet.

And the obliging judiciary obliged.

Perhaps Dr Gonzi can now ask the law courts administration to deal expeditiously with the libel case instituted by Joseph Muscat in connection with the GonziPN lie. I am sure that if the Prime Minister did so, the judiciary would oblige. And the case is worth dealing with without loss of time. It will show who is saying what about the minimum wage.

But will Dr Gonzi interfere? My reasoning tells me that the PN, therefore the government, therefore Dr Gonzi, will lose the case. The PN’s lie will blow up in the PN’s face. Does anyone believe that Dr Gonzi is going to ask that the case be dealt with expeditiously? Does anyone believe that the law courts, without being asked, will treat this issue with the urgency it deserves?

J. Galea

HAMRUN