Protest against government’s magisterial inquiry reform in Valletta on Sunday

Several organisations will protest in Valletta on Sunday against government’s plans to stifle the right of ordinary citizens to directly petition the courts for magisterial inquiries.

Repubblika, Occupy Justice, Aditus Foundation, The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, PEN Malta, Għaqda Studenti tal-Liġi and Vuċi Kollettiva have called on people to join them in the protest titled Protecting The Right To Justice.

The protest will start at 4pm in front of parliament.

In a statement on Thursday, the organisations refuted the Labour Party’s criticism that they are extremists.

“We refute the accusation that our stand is in any way extremist. In a democracy, the peaceful defence of citizens’ rights can never be called extremist,” the organisations said.

They called on government to stop crushing the rights that citizens enjoy today and instead listen to the objections being made.

“We call on the people to voice their stand in favour of the right to seek justice and against corruption and the intimidation of journalists,” the organisations said.

The protest is intended to convince the government to stop the parliamentary debate on Bill 125 and instead embark on a consultation process to strengthen the country’s ability to fight corruption and organised crime.

Bill 125 is being rushed through parliament with the Second Reading having started this week, just over a month since Prime Minister Robert Abela instructed Justice Minister Jonathan Attard to draw up the reform. Among the more controversial changes are those that tinker with the individual’s right to seek a magisterial inquiry.

Government wants to introduce several hurdles to the process. Ordinary citizens will now be forced to file a police report and only after six months can they ask the Criminal Court to evaluate whether a magisterial inquiry should start. The level of proof that an individual would be required to produce will be upped and in its decision whether an inquiry should take place, the court will be deciding on the balance of probability rather than reasonable suspicion as it is today.

The organisations said they agreed with certain aspects of the proposed changes such as strengthening the standing of victims of crime throughout the inquiry process. But they are against the parts of the reform that shackle the right of individuals to ask for magisterial inquiries.

“Just like the Malta Employers’ Association, the Chamber of Advocates, the Chamber of Commerce and others, we cannot understand the government’s urgency to impose this law without any form of public dialogue,” the organisations said.