The Constitutional Court has denied Daniel Muka's attempt to suspend his ongoing jury trial for the 2020 double murder of Christian Pandolfino and Ivor Maciejowski, ruling that his right to a fair trial had not been violated.

On Friday, the First Hall of the Civil Court (Constitutional Jurisdiction), presided over by Mr Justice Henri Mizzi, dismissed a constitutional application filed by Muka, who stands accused alongside Victor Dragomanski of the brutal killings in Sliema on 18 August 2020. The trial began on 16 June.

Muka had sought an urgent interim measure to postpone proceedings, claiming his newly appointed private lawyer, Mario Mifsud, was given insufficient time - just three days - to prepare a defence. He argued that this amounted to a breach of his constitutional human rights.

In his application, Muka said he struggled to secure private legal representation due to an unresolved civil dispute with his former lawyer. He also refused assistance from state-appointed legal aid, maintaining his right to choose his own counsel. He requested a minimum 20-day period for his new lawyer to prepare, noting that a request for adjournment on the trial's opening day had already been denied.

However, the court found Muka's arguments unconvincing. It noted that while he had faced difficulties, court records showed he had been given multiple opportunities since March 2024 to appoint legal counsel. The trial date had been formally set in April 2025, providing ample time to prepare.

Additionally, Muka declined to work with at least two court-appointed lawyers and failed to provide sworn evidence supporting his claim of unsuccessfully attempting to engage other lawyers earlier.

In its ruling, the court concluded that there was no breach of Muka's right to a fair hearing and that his plea to suspend the jury trial was unfounded. Consequently, the trial will proceed as scheduled.