All the remaining provisions of the Freedom of Information Act will come into force on September 1, Justice Minister Chris Said said this morning.

A legal notice will be published in the coming days.

Speaking at a press conference this morning about the work of his ministry on the fourth year of the legislature, Dr Said said that people accused of possession of drugs for the first time are to be given an option of whether to appear before a court or a board  which would help them overcome their addiction, avoiding a blot on their record. A public consultation period will be held. This, he stressed, would not detract from the state's fight against drug trafficking.

Dr Said said the Cabinet had started talks on the proposed IVF law. Talks on a civil partnerships law have not started yet although a draft bill has been prepared.

Dr Said said that a private member's motion by Nationalist MP Franco Debono on party financing was 'a good draft'. The country needed a law on party financing, he said, and the motion incorporated some of the work done by other people.  Parliament had a long agenda, he said, although this too was something which had to be discussed.

On mistakes by the prosecution which had led to acquittals in court, Dr Said there was a difference between intentional mistakes and human error. Disciplinary action had to be taken for the former. He, however, refused to comment on individual cases.