Before it all started, we all knew that the hospitals court cases would have been long, drawn-out legal battles.

But few, except perhaps for the lawyers, expected two extremely long first sittings in which very little was accomplished, and which exposed the fragility of the prosecution and the preparedness of the defence.

To the layman, following the legal arguments as they were being presented in court was hard, considering the technicalities that each and every step of the proceedings was taking. 

What is significant is that the chief of the police and the attorney general have been conspicuously absent from the proceedings on Tuesday and Wednesday. After failing in their duties to investigate the hospitals deal – it had to be a magisterial inquiry set up on the initiative of an NGO that has taken us to the point that people are effectively charged with criminal offences – they have now abdicated from at least giving their moral support to the prosecution as it presents its cases.

After the two sittings we had this week – two separate cases before different magistrates – it is already clear that the whole judicial process will take years to complete.

We’ve already had more than 20 hours of legal wrangling in court, and many more will follow. It is good to note that both magistrates seem intent to move along as quickly as possible, with the next sitting in both cases to be heard in a fortnight. Let’s hope that this rhythm will be kept, and not have several months in between sittings.

The country is facing an unprecedented crisis – to have a former Prime Minister, three former ministers (one of whom is now the governor of the Central Bank) and other public officers (sitting or retired) being charged with serious offences is not to be taken lightly. Once again, Malta is in the international news for the wrong reasons.

It is sad to see that at least two governments – those of Italy and the UK – felt the need to warn their citizens to be cautious when visiting Valletta on Tuesday and Wednesday, given how people were being encouraged to show their support to past politicians, in particular Joseph Muscat, who are accused of stealing from them. This is not the kind of publicity that the country needs.

But, to go back to the proceedings in court, it did not take long for the defence find a technical mistake made by the prosecution. This was so in the sitting related to the lesser charges which have been brought up against former deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and CBM governor Edward Scicluna – which ended with the magistrate blasting the prosecution for a “most serious” error.

It is yet another difficult moment for the country, which is compounded by the fact that we are getting close to an election. While, admittedly, a European Parliament and local council election is not on the same level as a general election, its significance has grown given the particular times we are living in.

As the first two sittings have set the tone for what is to come in court, the 8 June will also set the tone of what the country should expect at least until the next general election is held.