Four years after he died and almost 20 years after he began a human rights court case against former Labour minister Lorry Sant, the late Renè Buttigieg was vindicated but instead of winning compensation, the court asked his family to share in the legal expenses.

Now the family is planning to appeal the judgment, handed down by Judge Gino Camilleri last Friday, and seek sufficient compensation.

Mr Sant’s wife, Carmen, a former Labour MP, who appeared for her husband at the court hearings, said when contacted: “I am sure they are the best of friends in heaven. But we are still here. I had to attend to all those sessions hearing all that everyone had to say, only my husband could not say anything to defend himself as he had passed away.”

The court found Mr Buttigieg’s rights to protection against degradation and discrimination were violated by Mr Sant during the 1970s when Mr Buttigieg was a government architect and Mr Sant served as Works Minister. Mr Buttigieg was kept in a small room without sanitary facilities and given no work for four and a half months of his government employment.

“This is an unjust order and was intended to cause hardship, in this case mental suffering, to degrade him in front of his colleagues, diminish his dignity, embarrass and demoralise him,” the court said, pointing out that this was a “severe violation”.

Mr Buttigieg was also prevented from signing a reorganisation exercise, which he had every right to sign and which made him miss out on a better salary and other benefits.

A source close to the family said they were angry the case took two decades to conclude and that no compensation was granted despite the fact that the family suffered together with Mr Buttigieg.

The source added that, although the family was pleased, Mr Buttigieg had finally won the case, it was upset he did not live to witness the outcome. The family had been waiting for a ruling since before Mr Buttigieg died but several sittings were put off.

One of the reasons given by the judge for not granting compensation was that both parties had died and that Mr Buttigieg took so long to initiate the case.

Mr Buttigieg was forced to stop working 14 years before his retirement age and ended up on anti-depressants. He eventually moved to Ghana to work there for 10 years because he feared retribution by Mr Sant, one of the Labour Party’s most controversial characters.

In a 45-page judgment, the judge pointed out that Mr Sant was rough with all his employees but it was clear that he could not stand Mr Buttigieg.

Mr Buttigieg was the secretary of the Professional Engineers Union and treasurer of the Malta Government Professional Officers Union and claimed he was persecuted because of his trade unionist role.