Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/269668
4 News CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 In the 2013 electoral campaign, Mus- cat reiterated that he wanted to push forward the female role in society. While only one in four government board members are women, the ap- pointment of more women to the ju- diciary is a step in fulfilling this goal. The prime minister has effectively appointed more women to the judi- ciary than men – Magistrate Char- maine Galea was appointed in June 2013 when Antonio Mizzi was pro- moted to Judge, and Aaron Bugeja became magistrate. The same sources said "the ap- pointments had to be brought for- ward since Judge Lino Farrugia Sacco has effectively been disbarred from presiding over cases following the rulings of the Commission for the Administration of Justice". Up until early January, Farrugia Sacco was still hearing court cas- es. The government has now decided to put on hold the impeachment motion against Farrugia Sacco. During a House Business Committee meeting on Fri- day, deputy prime minister Louis Grech argued that the Parliamentary motion should be shelved until the Constitutional court decides over the judicial protest filed by Farrugia Sacco against the prime minister, the attorney general and the commission for the administration of justice. Despite the Nationalist Party's op- position, the House Business Com- mittee decided that Parliament should endorse the government's proposal, effectively postponing the vote on the motion by a few more weeks. Opposition deputy leader Mario de Marco insisted that the case should not be frozen as it could set a danger- ous precedent. Farrugia Sacco, who retires in Au- gust, filed a judicial protest, claiming that he was not being given a fair trial following government's decision to move a new impeachment motion without a fresh investigation by the commission for the administration of justice. The judge claims a second decision by the CAJ, reconfirming its original decision in January without holding a second set of hearings on the new impeachment against the judge filed by the Prime Minister, breaches his constitutional rights. Judge emeritus Giovanni Bonello and the Dean of the Faculty of Law Kevin Aquilina (see opinion column on page 25) publicly declared that Parliament should only go ahead with the motion once the Consti- tutional court decides on the case, which government said should "be concluded reasonably short- ly, as determined by the coun- try's laws". maltatoday, SUNDAY, 2 MARCH 2014 Drive to push more women to the top Maria Camilleri's name was also on the cards CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 The decision is expected to be criti- cised by the Nationalist Party, who will take umbrage at the choice of a Labour personality. There may also references to Coleiro Preca's politi- cal background, when she started off as secretary general of the Labour party in the turbulent 80s. However Coleiro holds the highest rating for all ministers in the Muscat Cabi- net, and is even more popular than Muscat himself. She is also highly respected by Nationalist voters. On the other hand, Labour Party insiders are expected to assess her choice as an attempt by Muscat to position the party more to the cen- tre. Yet sources in Castille have told MaltaToday that Muscat's decision was driven by his obsession choosing a woman for the post, and someone who has a sincere appreciation of so- cial issues. Maria Camilleri would have been a natural choice for Muscat, but she would come with political baggage, and would have made the prime minister vulnerable to an onslaught from the Opposition. Camilleri was also a candidate for the MEP elec- tions on the Labour ticket in 2009. She is the head of the the Mariam al- Batool Islamic School in Paola. Camilleri is the prime minis- ter's special envoy to Arab coun- tries, however she turned down the €34,000 salary for envoys because she felt the money could be used to help people who really need it. Other special envoys who did not refuse the remuneration include popular notary Alex Scibberas Trigona and entrepreneur and hotelier Joseph Zammit Tabone, who surprisingly accepted the post of envoy for busi- ness promotion. Joanne Vella Cuschieri and Edwina Grima Maria Camilleri