Judge demands answers after urgent court application bypasses the bench
Registrar ordered to investigate why filings are being made without court's knowledge
An irritated judge has ordered an internal investigation after a document was filed in a case’s records without having ever been presented to the court, saying the situation is happening far too often.
Judge Giovanni Grixti ordered the Registrar of Courts to investigate the inclusion of an application for an interim measure in a constitutional case filed before the First Hall of the Civil Court.
The plaintiff in that case, Matthew Bajada, filed an interim measure – a request for the urgent suspension of action against him – against the State Advocate, Attorney General and Director of the Civil Courts and Tribunals. That filing was included in the case records without being brought before the court.
The presiding judge, Mr Justice Giovanni Grixti, remarked that this “situation is repeating itself quite often” and said there were various communiques with the Registrar of the Civil Courts and Tribunals on the issue.
“Given that this is a serious situation, and the court failed to rule on an important application, the court is ordering the registrar to investigate why this is happening so often,” the court said.
It then gave the respondents 24 hours to reply to the interim measure application and adjourned the sitting.