The Nationalist Party is presenting a motion in Parliament with the aim of annulling Legal Notice 456 regarding the Regulation on the Online Publication of Court Judgements.

The Legal Notice gives complete discretion to the director-general of the court to decide which court judgements are published online

In a press conference, PN spokesperson for Justice Karol Aquilina and the spokesperson for human rights and good governance Therese Comodini Cachia called for the legal notice to be repealed.

Aquilina said several media organisations argued that the Legal Notice infringes on fundamental rights by depriving citizens of the right to be informed and restricting access to information that is in the public interest.

This notice has been also criticized by the Chamber of Advocates, which described it as “incorrect and unfounded”, as well as lacking effective controls and above all the Regulations lack any details that are necessary for the public to understand.

Aquilina and Comodini Cachia both said that in a democratic society, the publication of court rulings is essential to ensure and uphold the cardinal principle that justice must not only be done but must be done.

They argued that in a democratic society it is necessary to strengthen the right to information and freedom of the press. The Legal Notice does the exact opposite by continuing to deprive journalists of that enabling environment which is necessary in every democratic society where journalism is recognised as the fourth pillar.