Lawyers refusing to attend sittings in the Gozo court, bringing it to a complete standstill, have denounced the authorities' “deafening silence”.
In a statement on Saturday, the lawyers said that although they have not been attending sittings since Thursday, niether Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, nor the Court Services Agency had contacted them to address their concerns.
The Gozo court is at a complete standstill after lawyers announced they would not attend sittings in protest over a long list of shortcomings.
The lawyers on Saturday warned that their action will continue until they are given a satisfactory explanation of how the issues will be addressed.
Among the issues being raised is the abscense of an assistant registrar and a full-time court marshal.
Staff shortcomings are being felt in several branches of the courts, documents are being lost and others are not being served on time to the parties, or to the judges. Many documents are not being scanned, the lawyers argue.
A cramped old building
Furthermore, shortcomings in the law courts building itself, identified by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and the Commission for People with Disabilities, had been ignored, they said.
The lawyers are demanding improvement in the environment and facilities of the courthouse, a cramped old building in the Citadel of Victoria.
The lawyers had already gone out on strike in June over the same issues but had then returned to work after being promised that they will be addressed.
However, four months later very little changed with the lawyers saying on Saturday they appreciated that lawyers who usually work in the Maltese court did not attend sittings in Gozo out of solidarity with those who are permanently based in Gozo.
They said they also appreciate an expression of solidarity by the president of the Chamber of Advocates who mentioned the Gozo court situation in the opening of the forensic year.
“The situation at the Gozo court must be addressed urgently, seriously and actions should be concrete and not limited to changes or cosmetic improvements."
"The Gozo Court, the judiciary, practicing lawyers and the citizens deserve better and should not be treated differently. We are determined to continue with these actions until the necessary solutions are found,” the lawyers said in their statement.
Questions sent by Times of Malta to the Justice Ministry last Wednesday - when the lawyers had first announced their strike - have so far not solicited a response.
A spokeswoman for the Court Services Agency told Times of Malta that agency CEO Eunice Grech Fiorni had been in touch with the group and that a meeting between the lawyers and the Court Services Agency was scheduled for Tuesday to discuss any further pending issues.