Updated | Mother jailed three months for denying father access to 17-year-old son

Judge Michael Mallia this morning made a three month jail term effective for, a mother who appealed a Magistrates Court judgment which had jailed her for denying her former husband access to their son.

In its ruling, the court said that although Anna and her husband Raymond Cassar are legally separated, the separation contract clearly establishes the father's access to the son.

In her appeal, the woman pleaded that her son refused to meet his father, and that she could not force him to see him.

Arguing that the Magistrate's court which convicted her didn't make any distinction between a toddler and a 16-year-old, who was in sixth form at the time and preferred to continue studying instead of seeing his father with whom he never had any good rapport.

Judge Michael Mallia who presided over the Appeals Court expressed its concern that the woman may have been using excuses for the son not to see his father.

He hit out however at both parents for having dragged a separation case for years, with never ending problems.

Calling both parents as "irresponsible" and "immature" the Court expressed concern that the lengthy bickering between both sides would have a lasting effect on their son, even though he is 18 years old today.

The father had filed a series of complaints before the family court and with the police after he was denied access to his son.

On one occasion he alleged that his estranged wife had denied him access to his son for a whole six months.