The last attempt to create a mountain out of a molehill has been the way Simon Busuttil and his motley crew changed the nomination of two lawyers as magistrates into another so-called “scandal”.

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici explained in detail in Parliament how the nomination of those two lawyers – Dr Zammit Young and Dr Farrugia Frendo – had not “contravened the Constitution” as alleged by the Leader of the Opposition and his deputy leader, Dr Beppe Fenech Adami. At most the Commission for the Administration of Justice had advised – not “condemned” – the minister that in the case of Dr. Zammit Young there could be the possibility – not certainty – of her ineligibility for the appointment as magistrate, having chaired the Employment Commission. In the case of Dr. Caroline Farrugia Frendo there was no similar doubt about her eligibility.

Dr Bonnici revealed in the most glaring way, the utter hypocrisy of the PN opposition, particularly Simon Busuttil, Beppe Fenech Adami and Jason Azzopardi! Dr Bonnici reminded them that the PN government under Dr. Eddie Fenech Adami had appointed as Chief Justice (Dr G Mifsud Bonnici) the brother of the Justice Minister at that time – Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, as well as appointing a former parliamentary secretary (Dr J. Cassar) as magistrate!

But Minister Bonnici placed the cherry squarely on the cake when he said that Dr Simon Busuttil, who boasts of having written the last two electoral manifestos of the PN, had not included the promise to reform the system on how magistrates and judges were to be appointed! But the minister went further by offering to show the Opposition the government’s draft while the Opposition proposes its ideas to the government and together formulate a joint Bill which will be presented to Parliament.

Let’s wait and see whether the Opposition is only interested in playing political tricks.

Eddy Privitera

Mosta