Former Labour Minister Joe Micallef Stafrace has passed away, the Labour Party said. He was 88.

In a statement, the PL said that Micallef Stafrace was "a politicians and journalist of great skills". His death deprives the country of a true patriot who loved freedom of expression.

In difficulties times when people could suffer because of their beliefs, Micallef Stafrace was not afraid to fight for his ideals.

The party was referring to the 1960s when Micallef Stafrace, as a Labour activist, was deprived of a marriage in Church at the time when the Church was in confrontation with the Labour Party. The marriage had taken place in the sacristy.

The PL said he faced prison because of a cartoon he had published, but he remained strong in his socio-democratic principles.

He was an MP for three consecutive legislatures, serving also as a Minister for Industry, Agriculature and Tourism.

He was also a lecturer at the University of Malta, and served also as a court expert in traffic accidents.

In a comment, Prime Minister Robert Abela said said that the best farewell that one could give to Micallef Stafrace is by embracing honesty.

The government and the Institute of Maltese Journalists expressed their condolences to the family.

Born in Valletta, Micallef Stafrace graduated as a lawyer in 1959.

He was a member of the Board of Film Censors between 1955 and 1959 and, in 1955, he was appointed editor of the MLP's bi-weekly newspaper Is-Sebh which, under his editorship, became a daily a year later.

In 1959, the newspaper was suspended for two months in a court judgment and Micallef Stafrace was impsisoned for four days for vilification of the governor.

In 1962, he contested the general election and made it to Parliament in a casual election after Patrick Holland vacated his seat. This was repeated in 1966 but Micallef Stafrace was elected on his own steam in 1971.

In June that year he was made minister but he resigned in October of that same year, for reasons that were never officially disclosed. He retained his parliamentary seat.

In 2008, he was the Gold Award by the Institute of Maltese Journalists.

He was a regular columnist for It-Torca for several years.

He married Yvonne Zammit in 1961 and they had three children - Yana, Simon and Kirill.

Source: Dictionary of Maltese Biographies (Michael J. Schiavone)