Labour candidate Deborah Schembri lost a court case she herself instituted to have her name listed on the ballot sheet as Deborah Schembri, and not Deborah Schembri Tabone. She said she will appeal the ruling.

Dr Schembri said she had been married to Joseph Tabone and used her name as Deborah Schembri-Tabone. After obtaining a divorce, she had asked the Pubnlic Registry to change back to the name Deborah Schembri, but still remained luisted as Deborah Schembri-Tabone on the Electoral Register.

In her nomination as a candidate for the general election she had put down her name as “Schembri Deborah (tad-divorzju)” on the ballot sheet, but the Electoral Commission chose to use the Schembri-Tabone surname.

The commission said that according to law and practice, the names of the candidates are listed as written on the Electoral Register, and Dr Schembri had enough time to correct how her name appeared on the Electoral Register.

The law allows candidates to include a nickname, but the name must be listed as it appears on the Electoral Register.

The appeal will be heard on Monday.