A judicial protest has been filed against the parliamentary secretary for health Chris Fearne, deploring the decision to force cardiologist Albert Fenech to switch to part-time work.

The protest says that Professor Fenech, who is a Nationalist MP, has offered his unwavering service for 18 years, and he has always acted in the best interests of his patients.

The protest accuses the government of hiding behind the “excuse” that Professor Fenech has reached a pensionable age in order to force him to work part-time.

This is being done to the detriment of Professor Fenech's patients, and the protest questions whether political motivations are behind the move.

Professor Fenech has now found himself in “precarious work,” the protest says, which goes against the government own political aims.

The protest, signed by lawyer Andrew Borg Cardona, calls on the decision to be reverted within a week.