September 9, 2016 at 9:20 am
Press Release: LSA Court Case Appeal Postponed Once Again – Situation is now unacceptable
Following the acquittal of LSA Karen Mercieca and the subsequent appeal by the Attorney General, the Union notes with a high degree of disappointment that the appeal has been deferred once again by the Judge – this time to January 2017. This means that this saga on this family and all involved will now go well beyond 5 years. While the MUT understands that the Court has its procedures and priorities, the Union appeals to all stakeholders to realise that this case needs more sensitivity towards the persons involved. While deferring cases may be natural and the order of the day for lawyers and persons who are often involved in court proceedings, lay persons who are depending on a court decision to rebuild their life cannot be treated in the same manner.
In conclusion, the MUT is appealing to the Courts to be more sensitive to the plight of persons that appear in front of it. Five years for one decision is way too long for anybody in a democratic society and there are hardly any excuses that can justify such delays. The Union has written to the Minister for Education and Employment and the Minister for Justice to intervene where possible to shorten these time-frames to more acceptable ones.
