PN sues BA, PBS over censorship

The Nationalist Party has sued state broadcaster PBS and the Broadcasting Authority, claiming that its incessant censorship and failure to fulfil their constitutional obligations was breaching the party’s fundamental rights.

In an application filed in the First Hall of the Civil Court in its constitutional jurisdiction, the party said its right to an effective remedy was also breached when the BA recently ruled in its favour on a complaint it filed against the state broadcaster, but it had remained without a remedy.

The case revolves around the state broadcaster’s failure to report the events that unfolded both inside and outside parliament on July 12 when Labour MPs voted against an Opposition motion to hold a public inquiry into the construction site death of Jean Paul Sofia at Corradino in December.

Party general secretary Michael Piccinino told the court that the Broadcasting Authority ruled in favour of a PN complaint, agreeing that it was a shortcoming by the state broadcaster not to report what had happened and carry footage. However, it failed to issue any order for PBS to comply, and the broadcaster had not done anything.

He said that in doing so, PBS and the BA violated their constitutional obligations which led to the violation of the party’s freedom of expression as protected under the constitution and the the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms.

Piccinino requested the court to rule that the BA and PBS had failed to ensure appropriate impartiality on matters of political or industrial controversy, ensure that broadcasting time is distributed fairly among political parties and ensure that news that is of national interest is broadcast with accuracy.

He also asked the court to rule against the BA for failing to provide the party with an effective remedy when it decided in favour of its complaint against PBS, leading it to suffer discrimination.

Piccinino asked the court to liquidate damages the party had suffered with these breaches.

Lawyers Paul Borg Olivier and Francis Zammit Dimech signed the writ.

Meanwhile, in reply to a PN statement announcing the case filed in court, the Labour Party said PN leader Bernard Grech was finding ways to make up for the people’s mistrust by resorting to “bullying” on the national television station and the BA, where he had someone representing him.

“This is what the establishment does: bullying the institutions. The Labour Party will not accept this bullying,” it said.