Former Minister Justyne Caruana is contesting a law which she had described as being monumental when she was addressing Parliament before its implementation, NGO Repubblika said.

Caruana resigned from Education Minister after the Standards Commissioner ruled a breach had been committed when she had given a €15,000 contract to “friend” Daniel Bogdanovic. She has since opened a court case challenging the constitutional validity of the law.

In a statement on Thursday, Repubblika said that on 11 July 2016 she had described the law as being a monument, saying that in its drawing up the Labour government “had been careful to observe the principles of natural justice, which are basic and fundamental in all judicial procedures.” The law also saw that “no rights of anyone potentially involved in the procedures are prejudiced”.

She had boasted of being part of a small group that worked on the drawing up of the law. “We adopted high standards of democratic principles and established rules of checks and balances that honour this Parliament. The commissioner will have comprehensive power to investigate allegations made,” she had said at the time.

It is clear that Caruana is now against the law she had voted in favour of. She had then boasted that Labour had been courageous enough to demand responsibility and integrity, Repubblika said.

It is easy to talk, the NGO said.