The battle against censorship and the struggle in favour of more artistic freedom and liberty is, truly, one which never stops. 

Pre-2013, a number of people including myself as the then Shadow Minister for Culture, had personally and doggedly fought tooth and nail against attempts to silence artists through the use of criminal sanctions. 

I believe that, once in Government,  we did walk the talk and managed to deliver massive changes to iron out draconian laws which were used, during the previous administration, to arraign to the criminal courts editors and authors.

This had come about through a two-pronged approach.

Firstly, we had thoroughly reformed existing laws relating to media and defamation.  Criminal libel, for one, was thrown out of the window and our legislation was drastically changed for the better. 

Secondly, we made a review of existing legislation relating to artistic expression and eliminated an incredible amount of legal provisions which in some way or form had the potential, or were actually used to stifle artistic freedom.

I remember that, at the time, we did such a wholesome review of existing legislation that the Opposition went as far as accusing us that we were engaging in an exercise of ksuhat. They had said that we had gone a step too far when we, for instance, proposed the repeal of ancient articles of the law which prohibited (at least on paper) even the most minor of criticisms against religious figures.

Fast forward to today and the situations we have in front of us resulting from a decision which Gordon Manche’ took to file a complaint (kwerela) against artists – who had criticised him using satire – effectively by making reference to a provision which seeks to safeguard society against the unlawful use of communication equipment.  The penalties resulting for those found guilty of breaking that provision are very serious.

I believe that this is a nothing but an exercise of trying to fit a square into a circle. Yet, as shallow and non sequitur as it may be, this legal exploit will see the arraignment of artists to the court of magistrates in order to answer for criminal charges when the only thing they have done is to express themselves artistically.

And that right – the right to express oneself artistically – needs to be safeguarded and protected.

Not to mention the waste of police and justice resources!

And not to mention also the very important fact that here we are speaking about a place of work.  Here we are speaking about creative people plying their trade, their profession, their talents as artists, as actors, as stand up comedians etc. People who go to work should be allowed to work as freely as possibly, without running the risk of having the police arraigning them to court for doing what is essentailly their job.

Artists are artists and should never be treated as criminals by having particular provisions of criminal law weaponised against them.

Minister Byron Camilleri and myself have swiftly and expeditiously worked in tandem and have already moved forward the first reading of a bill which has the aim of strengthening the freedom of artistic expression.  In the coming immediate days we will explain more what we are going to do.

We will keep walking the talk.

Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici

This week we announced that Heritage Malta, under the auspices of the Office of the Prime Minister, is launching a call for proposals for the design of a monument in honour of Dr Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, who served as Prime Minister of Malta from 1984 until 1987. The monument will be located in Castille Square, Valletta.

Through this gesture, the Government is giving due recognition to the contribution Dr Mifsud Bonnici - a well-loved gentleman - gave to this country.  We hope that the people at large will appreciate the artistic talents of the creator of the eventual monument. Indeed, a monument’s highest value is to be able, across the centuries, to evoke a nation’s collective identity and be a link between the past and the present.

Through this call, interested artists are being invited to submit designs for a figurative bronze sculpture in honour of Dr Mifsud Bonnici. The style of the monument will be the prerogative of the artist.

The personality of Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici, although it may appear straightforward due to Dr Mifsud Bonnici’s overtly humble disposition, can also be described as complex, contradictory, and sometimes even controversial.

One can agree or disagree with the political positions Dr Mifsud Bonnici took.  However, one thing is certain: he always remained true to himself. He was a man of honesty, great humility, sincerity, altruism, and extremely loyal to the principles he believed in and worked for.

He never let power go to his head and was always willing to meet and listen to everyone, adapting to every circumstances. Above all, his heart was always with the vulnerable. He was also a person of great intelligence and a profound sense of compassion. He never turned a blind eye to the suffering of people.

He never hesitated to pursue his goal, even in the most challenging moments. He was highly pragmatic, although he never compromised or betrayed his sacred beliefs.

What Dr Mifsud Bonnici preached, he practised. He firmly believed in social justice and lived that by helping others in an almost saintly manner. There are several accounts of how he would take money out of his own pocket to personally help those in need.

I do not intend to discuss the years during which Karmenu served as Prime Minister and I leave to the “posteri l’ardua sentenza”. But I do want to mention one point.  During his years at the helm, Dr Mifsud Bonnici as Prime Minister oversaw the inclusion of necessary Constitutional amendments in the form of a new corrective mechanism which had the aim of ascertaining that the party obtaining the majority of votes in an election would also obtain the majority of seats.

Mr Mintoff, of course, had played an active part, as had Professor Guido de Marco and President Agatha Barbara. True to his humble demenour Dr Mifsud Bonnici allowed the story  to be written in a way which unjustly relegated him to some second fiddle in the whole melody. Nothing is farther from the truth and were it not for Dr Mifsud Bonnici, that terrible impasse would not have been unlocked.

Dr Mifsud Bonnici possessed an immensely good heart, a quality that defined his character and set him apart. With an unwavering commitment to the well-being of others, he was willing to go to great lengths to help those in need.

No task was too challenging or sacrifice too significant for him when it came to supporting and uplifting those around him. Whether it was offering a listening ear, lending a helping hand, or offering words of encouragement, he consistently displayed his genuine care and compassion.

His selflessness and kindness knew no bounds, and his actions spoke volumes about his character. He was truly a remarkable individual who touched the lives of many through his boundless love and unwavering dedication to making a positive difference.