Judge asks for halt to criminal proceedings

Lawyers for Judge Patrick Vella yesterday called on the Constitutional Court to declare that their client's fundamental human right to a fair trial had been breached and to remedy the matter by bringing the criminal proceedings to a halt.

Dr Toni Abela, on behalf of Judge Vella's legal team, made submissions before Mr Justice Gino Camilleri in the Civil Court.

The constitutional hearing is taking place after the matter was referred to the Civil Court by Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona following a claim of a breach of human rights raised by lawyers for former chief justice Noel Arrigo, 52, of Siggiewi, and Judge Patrick Vella, 58, of San Pawl tat-Targa.

The judges are pleading not guilty to two counts of bribery and one of revealing official secrets in relation to a sentence handed down by the Court of Criminal Appeal against Mario Camilleri on July 5.

Judge Arrigo and Judge Vella are claiming that the prime minister made statements asserting their guilt before they were tried by a court and had, at best, clouded their constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Dr Abela yesterday called for the termination of the criminal proceedings on bribery saying that financial compensation for moral damages was not the primary remedy.

The cases continues.