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MALTATODAY 19 January 2025

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5 ANALYSIS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 JANUARY 2025 KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt MAGISTERIAL INQUIRIES WHEN LABOUR ACCUSED THE PN GOVERNMENT OF FASCIST TACTICS ROBERT ABELA'S ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE WAY MAGISTERIAL INQUIRIES CAN BE REQUESTED BY ORDINARY CITIZENS IS A CASE OF HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE ACTORS HAVE SWAPPED PLACES. MALTATODAY REVIEWS THE PARLIAMENTARY TRANSCRIPTS FROM 2006 TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND THE PRESENT. HISTORY has a way of repeating it- self with different actors. The gov- ernment's latest attempt to change the way magisterial inquiries can be requested by ordinary citizens is one such instance. Let us try and picture the scene – MPs sitting on the purple seats of the old chamber of parliament inside the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta in 2006. The following statements echo loudly in the chamber amid thumping on the wooden benches: 'You are fas- cists; cowards; you should be ashamed; we're back to the Mussolini era; this is a frontal attack on magistrates; a vote of no confidence in magistrates and or- dinary citizens.' These strong words are uttered by Labour MPs after justice minister To- nio Borg presents a Bill that includes a proposal to change the manner by which magisterial inquiries requested by ordinary citizens can be initiated. The proposed change is included in an omnibus Bill that contains several legal amendments to various laws, in- cluding laws that have to do with drugs and prostitution. The PL is in Opposition and the PN in government. CONTINUES NEXT PAGE

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