The latest developments in the case of the three University students and their lecturer who have been taken to Court on hacking charges further confirm that we have a Government that rushes to legislate to cover its own tracks but has no interest in reforming laws that are meant to protect the public - in this case, young students and a teacher, the Nationalist Party said.

The three students and their lecturer were simply doing what they were supposed to do: identifying vulnerabilities that could be exploited for hacking by individuals with malicious intent.

Ethical hacking, as it is known, aims to identify weaknesses in applications so that these vulnerabilities can be addressed, the PN said.

However, because Malta still lacks up-to-date legislation for today's realities, instead of being credited for their work, the students and their lecturer found the law working against them. Their equipment was confiscated, and they are now facing court proceedings.

When the case first emerged, the PN said it called on the Government to amend the laws to reflect modern-day realities. But because the Government kept dragging its feet - since this issue does not affect one of its own - it did nothing. Now, our students and their lecturer are facing the risk of imprisonment.

If the Government wants to be taken seriously on cybersecurity and genuinely considers education, students, and teachers a priority, it must immediately ensure that the laws in this field protect well-intentioned citizens rather than putting innocent people at risk of imprisonment.

The PN said it is calling for common sense to prevail and insists that the charges against the three students and their lecturer should be dropped. At the same time, we demand that the Government stop failing its citizens and immediately reform the laws that are clearly punishing innocent people.