Author: Jacques René Zammit

  • The Beautiful Garden

    The Beautiful Garden

    The atmosphere at the European Parliament this Tuesday was surreal to say the least. Not being too familiar with the building I arrived just as the debate on the Rule of Law in Malta had kicked off and took a seat hurriedly in the visitor’s balcony. Just as I started to take in the different…

  • Civil Society and its critics

    Civil Society and its critics

    A long read. This post takes a look at the actors and interests in the current debate on the rule of law in Malta.  This afternoon the European Parliament will discuss a resolution on the Rule of Law in Malta. Point 5 of the Draft Resolution reads that “[The European Parliament] Regrets that developments in…

  • Silvio Schembri, Lies & 1984

    Silvio Schembri, Lies & 1984

    Silvio Schembri – a member of Joseph Muscat’s government – was born in 1985. He could not remember 1984 , the year, and quite frankly I doubt whether he read the book. If he has, then I doubt he learnt any lessons from Orwell. While going through facebook last night I came across a post…

  • Manuel Mallia’s Rule-By-Law

    Manuel Mallia’s Rule-By-Law

      Speaking in parliament last night, ex-Minister Manuel Mallia took a swipe at whoever had anything to do with the leaking FIAU documents. In a scene befitting pre-1989 East Germany, Mallia told parliament that the leaker of the report as well as anybody having access to it (including the PN) should be prosecuted because they…

  • The Literal Faculty – the rule of law and its critics

    The Literal Faculty – the rule of law and its critics

      Dr Kevin Aquilina (signing off as Dean of the Faculty of Law) penned an article in today’s Independent. In this article entitled “Demicoli v. Malta – Part two“, Aquilina decides that by calling for the resignation of both the advocate general and the police commissioner, civil society organisations “have taken it upon themselves to…

  • The revolution will not be televised

    The revolution will not be televised

      On the rule of law and constitutional reform Our parliaments have begun to discuss the state of the rule of law in Malta. I use the plural form because it is not only our national parliament that has begun to debate this but also our other parliament, the one that sits in Strasbourg. The…