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Court upholds 1976 law
Appeals court orders appointment of joint negotiating committee supposedly appointed following a 1976 law.
17 June 2013, 12:00am
Chris Mangion
Chris Mangion
1 min read
The court of appeal has ordered the appointment of a joint negotiating council between the association of civil protection employees and the government.
The court presided by Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri and Judges Noel Cuschieri and Gianino Caruana Demajo held that the committee is to be appointed within 4 months from today.
In 1976, then Prime Minister Dom Mintoff had enacted a law stating that the Association had a right to be included on the joint negotiating council. However, no government since 1976 had honoured the association's right.
The association had filed a case in front of the first hall of the civil court claiming its rights. The court had denied the claim, but an appeals court later upheld the request and ordered the appointment of a joint committee.
The Attorney General on behalf of the previous Nationalist administration had requested that a retrial will be heard.
The court of appeal today decided that the Association has a right to voice its needs. Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri read the court's decision and demanded that a joint negotiating committee is appointed within the coming four months.
Dr Ian Spiteri Bailey appeared for the Association.
Chris Mangion is MaltaToday’s photojournalist, joining the newspaper in 2013.
In 1995...
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it is very strange to say the least that this ruling was given just hours after the outburst against the Government by the Chief Justice last Friday. It is equally strange that such a ruling was taken now, when all previous Nationalist Governments, in office for 25 years, opposed such a ruling. Is it time for the People's Courts to be set up, as whatever the reason behind such a ruling, justice delayed is justice denied?
