Nationalist MP Janice Chetcuti has claimed a magistrate compared her to a "whore" after the lawyer greeted her cousin with a hug and a kiss on the cheek in the courtroom.
Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace reprimanded Chetcuti and another lawyer, Melhino Mercieca, for "kissing during a court sitting" and has asked the Chamber of Advocates to look into the matter.
A court minute recorded the incident during a sitting on Monday, May 30.
The court minute reads: “The court deplores the conduct of Dr Marino (sic Melhino) Mercieca and Dr Janice Chetcuti who felt it was opportune to be kissing during a hearing. The Court considers this conduct to be highly disrespectful to it and orders notification to the Chamber of Advocates for any provision it deems appropriate.”
However, a tearful Chetcuti claimed to Times of Malta that the magistrate insulted her in the courtroom after she gave her cousin, who she had not seen for some time, a kiss on the cheek.
Lawyer Melhino Mercieca was also reprimanded for the kiss.“The person mentioned in the text is my cousin, who I haven’t met in ages and it was so innocent, a simple hug and peck on the cheek,” she said.
“Then all of a sudden, I heard shouting, and the magistrate was shouting at me and my cousin in front of the whole courtroom."
She claims the magistrate said: "You are worse than the worst whore that has ever appeared before me. [Inti agħar mill-agħar qaħba li qatt dehret quddiemi]."
The magistrate told the lawyer she had committed an erotic sexual act inside the court room, Chetcuti claimed.
"Could you imagine, a woman calling another woman that? Everyone was shocked and outraged."- Janice Chetcuti
Chetcuti said she was “distraught” and the reaction was “beyond belief”.
She said the sitting was yet to start and her cousin approached her, after not seeing her since she contested the general election.
"Could you imagine, a woman calling another woman that? Everyone was shocked and outraged. I kept telling her that this man is my cousin but she only kept shouting at me, telling me to be quiet, telling me I had no right to speak."
Political timing
She said despite the incident happening two weeks ago, it was only now that the story was being released.
"It's simply because there are talks that I am considering taking up the Nationalist Party deputy leader position... if this happened to someone else, not me, Janice Chetcuti, this story would not be out there."
Chetcuti said she will be issuing a right of reply to the Chamber of Advocates.
"I am just so upset that this happened. All of Malta is laughing at me because of the way that message is written, making it sound like I was kissing another lawyer in the courtroom, when in reality it was a simple greeting from my cousin," she said.
Magistrate refuses to explain
When contacted on her mobile, Magistrate Micallef Stafrace insisted that she could not give interviews and said she would be asking the Chief Justice to take action over being contacted by Times of Malta.
When asked to explain how and why she called a lawyer a whore in open court, the magistrate said: "I don't care. I cannot give interviews. What's your name again so I'll tell the Chief Justice to take action?"
Chamber of Advocates president Louis De Gabriele said the chamber was investigating the matter. He said it had asked the lawyers for their version of events and was in the process of seeking other evidence.
“We are also seeking to obtain other evidence from other members of the profession who were in the hall at that point in time before we can come to any conclusion, particularly since the terms used by the court 'dehrilhom li għandhom joqgħodu jitbewsu waqt seduta [felt it was opportune to kiss during a hearing. ]' can be subject to interpretation. We would like to verify the facts before we can take a view on the matter,” he said.