The Court of Appeal has confirmed the conviction of lawyer and former Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi for filming inside the Courts of Justice, while reducing the fine imposed on him from €1,000 to €100.

The case was instituted by the Registrar of the Criminal Courts and the Principal Marshal, who alleged that on 2 December 2024 Azzopardi filmed a short video in a corridor of the Courts building, thereby behaving in an improper manner and breaching court regulations.

The footage, which is around six seconds long and was broadcast on NET Television, shows Prime Minister Robert Abela, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard and four other individuals engaged in discussion around a table.

On 4 April 2025, the Court of Magistrates found Azzopardi guilty and fined him €1,000. He subsequently appealed the decision, with the appeal being heard before Judges Giannino Caruana Demajo, Anthony Ellul and Mark Simiana.

After viewing the footage, the judges noted that while reference had been made to other individuals who could have filmed the video, it was evident that none of them were recording in the direction of the Prime Minister. They held that the footage was taken by a person walking along the corridor and that it was clear this person was Azzopardi himself.

The court further observed that although Azzopardi appears holding his mobile phone to his ear, it was obvious that he did not wish to give the impression that he was recording the individuals seated around the table.

The judges described Azzopardi's claim that there had been no breach of public order as unfounded. They stressed that, as a lawyer who has practised for many years within the Courts building, he could not but be aware of the rule prohibiting the taking of photos or videos inside the Courts without the permission of the Director General and the Chief Justice.

They added that, as a lawyer, Azzopardi should have set an example and should not have allowed such a trivial and unnecessary incident to occur. The court also remarked that the footage had no news value.

While confirming the original decision, the judges concluded that Azzopardi should not have been subjected to the maximum fine and ruled that a fine of €100 was more appropriate.