Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543552
11 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MARCH 2026 NEWS Party supporters at a 2003 referen- dum mass meeting while trying to question them. Following the election of Joseph Muscat as leader in 2008, Mintoff became editor of the Labour newspa- per KullĦadd, while simultaneously working with Malta Enterprise, draw- ing criticism over potential conflicts of interest. Reacting to Malta Enter- prise's claim that he broke protocol by taking the role without their consent, Mintoff filed a judicial protest alleg- ing political discrimination, pointing out that he had served the state enter- prise loyally for the previous two dec- ades, during which he had also been politically active, including as a La- bour MP and chairperson of Alternat- tiva Demokratika. Mintoff added that he never mixed up his roles as legal adviser to ME and his political roles over the years. EPISODE 8 2004: Fares badly in European Parliament elections Mintoff contested the European Par- liament election on a Labour ticket in 2004, receiving only 3,182 first-count votes. He ranked 8th and last among Labour candidates, a result which confirmed his unpopularity among Labour voters. This was the last time Mintoff contested an election. EPISODE 9 2014: Appointment to the judiciary Wenzu Mintoff was appointed to the judiciary by Prime Minister Jo- seph Muscat. The appointment was criticised by the Opposition due to his recent Labour activism. Beppe Fenech Adami, then PN deputy leader for party affairs, argued that Mintoff lacked the necessary courtroom expe- rience to join the Superior Courts. In her blog Daphne Caruana Galizia argued that he was unsuitable for the post as he was "literally eaten up by hatred for those he perceives to be his political enemies." Prime Minister Joseph Muscat de- fended the nomination, noting that politicians from both sides had pre- viously been appointed to the Bench and had proven capable of rising above party politics. It was one of the rare occasions when Mintoff received recognition from the political estab- lishment in what some saw as a prize for his militancy in the Labour Party. EPISODE 10 2014 onwards: Judicial career and landmark rulings As a judge, Wenzu Mintoff contin- ued to demonstrate the same rigorous scrutiny that defined his political ca- reer, which had been inspired by the role of Italian judges like Antonio Di Pietro during tangentopoli. In April 2024, while presiding over a con- stitutional case brought by Yorgen Fenech, he publicly criticised former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's chief of staff, Keith Schembri, for failing to disclose his close ties to Fenech. The latter is awaiting trial for his in- volvement in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Mintoff noted that appointing a leading businessman as chief of staff "would bring with it many situations of conflicting inter- ests," highlighting the challenges of political entanglements in sensitive judicial matters. Beyond this, Mintoff also delivered several landmark rulings. In 2021, he upheld Malta's long-standing ru- ral lease system (qbiela), protecting the rights of tenant farmers against landowner claims. As president of the Court of Appeal (Inferior Juris- diction), he confirmed daily fines im- posed by the Planning Authority for unauthorised development, reinforc- ing the enforcement powers of regu- latory bodies. He also annulled agree- ments that had placed natural areas like Miżieb and l-Aħrax under the management of a hunters' federation, a decision hailed by environmental groups, and upheld freedom of in- formation rights against government authorities, strengthening public ac- countability. Most recently, Mintoff sent an ex- plosive five-page sworn letter to Cab- inet, alleging that Prime Minister Robert Abela, in his previous roles as lawyer and MP, had pressured court staff to change legal expenses due; threatened a judicial employe; and in his current role as prime minister treated judicial appointments in par- tisan terms. The letter shook Maltese politics and reignited debate over ju- dicial independence. But as a result, Mintoff not only lost any chance of appointment but also finds himself investigated for potentially breaching judicial ethics, which preclude con- tact with the executive branch. The whole episode could taint his reputa- tion for rectitude. Yet, despite the flack, Mintoff has al- so signaled his determination to hold on to his post as judge, thus affirming one consistent character trait in his chequred career—a stubborn refus- al to submit and a kamikaze streak, which renders him so difficult to con- trol. (right). Lawyer Georg Sapiano (centre) moderated the Wenzu Mintoff (right), seen here with then Labour Party President Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, rejoined the PL after resigning from Alternattiva Demokratika Now taking on his formal name, Lawrence Mintoff was sworn in as a judge in 2014, having been appointed by then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat (Photo: DOI) Wenzu Mintoff was a candidate for the Labour Party in Malta's first-ever European election in 2004 tantrum of a scorned judge?