Dr Owen Bonnici is one of those Labour ministers I used to admire when as junior minister, he stood up to the Labour Minster Manwel Mallia and refused to continue serving under him as Parliamentary Secretary. Eventually, he was given the justice portfolio.
Bonnici was in the news again for his choice of magistrates and judges. The most controversial appeared to be those individuals coming from the political sector. I have no issues with such choices as long as those chosen have a track record of valid contribution to the community and justice. All political parties have a history of appointing their own men and women to the bench. The Nationalists appointed more than one ex-politician. Currently two ex-Labour politicians, Joe Mifsud and Wenzu Mintoff, are showing that this historical premise still works and they are working well. As a magistrate, Mifsud has already been in the news for positive reasons. I heard words of praise regarding the way Mintoff is handing down sentences and this from advocates who definitely are not Labour.
Under the present administration, there have been, however, also some controversial appointments that one would have thought the media would comment on, but which, instead it did not. Nevertheless any appointees resulting from a bizarre game of sex and bed-sheets are normally those who fail to deliver and it is these types of individuals who are normally questioned by lawyers, even if their grumbling fails to reach the media. These stories make our courts appear a Comedy Theatre.
Owen Bonnici’s ministry was again in the news last week for both positive and negative reasons. As Minister for Justice, he presented a massive legal reform. I am sure that both Kevin Aquilina, the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Giovanni Bonello have done a good job and I hope that the government will take Judge Giovanni Bonello’s recommendation on the way judges and magistrates are to be appointed to the bench in the future.
Bonnici has realized that our court of justice cannot continue to behave as it has been doing till recently. Rightly or wrongly, the social media is going to be a severe watchdog, providing the litmus test for the proposed reforms.
But there again, I did not expect Minister Bonnici that during an official presentation, he would defend the memory of corrupt judges. It was extremely inappropriate for our Minister of Justice to state that as a result of Judge Ray Pace's 'early retirement' there was an increase in the workload in our courts. This is not true at all. There are now individuals who are going through a re-trail because of the Pace’s alleged bad and (they would insist) corrupt judgments. The worst thing that could happen to the justice system is to be riddled with corrupt and/or incompetent judges. Government needs to stop supporting and defending the indefensible.
Yet, this is not the sole instance where corruption was defended by our Justice Minister. I here refer to the appointment of the former Deputy Police Commissioner Ray Zammit, as head of the new Enforcement Unit. The official opening of this unit occurred at the same time that the Sunday Times broke the story that Ray Zammit (together with his brother) had acquired plots of land at Mosta for a pittance. The general public opinion is that Zammit should not be heading any Government agency dealing with Enforcement, since his behaviour is similar to the law-breakers whom he is now expected to be watching out for.
Despite the fact that Zammit was present for the launch of the Enforcement Agency, journalists were not allowed to meet him. TMI reported that the journalists were literally prevented from meeting him. I expect that the Association of Journalists to protest, as this goes diametrically against the spirit of Freedom of the Press.
Bonnici earned my admiration when he stood up to Mallia. But now, for some reason, Bonnici seems to have lost the will power to stand up for what he thinks is right. Zammit's appointment clearly indicates that Bonnici is no longer in full control, with the result that one, who was considered a star minister, is now but a shadow of what he was. One is led to suspect that for reasons not made public, he is being held to ransom. Therefore, he has his hands tied.
This misogynistic quote from Isaiah 3:12 comes to mind on reflecting on these events: “O my people! Their oppressors are children, and women rule over them. O my people! Those who guide you lead you astray and confuse the direction of your paths”.
Government should avoid covering-up its cracks with cello tape, instead of repairing the lesions correctly. However, a reshuffle would not be enough under these circumstances!