Konrad Mizzi’s lawyers and the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia are exploring the possibility of reaching an out of court settlement in a libel case the former minister had filed against the slain journalist.

Mizzi had sued Caruana Galizia for libel after the former had alleged in a blog post in 2014 that Mizzi had been having an extramarital affair with his communications officer, Lindsay Gambin. She had written that this was the reason why Mizzi’s wife, Sai, had left Malta for China.

Earlier this month in another sitting, Mizzi’s lawyers renounced their brief.

When the case resumed on Monday, Mizzi’s new lawyer, Edward Gatt, asked magistrate Victor Axiaq for some more time to explore the possibility of reaching an out of court settlement. The request was upheld. The case continues in January.

Lawyer Peter Caruana Galizia and Eve Borg Costanzi appeared for the Caruana Galizia estate.