Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/587664
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2015 8 News CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 In terms of the Code of Ethics for the judi- ciary, is it expressly stated that a member of the judiciary cannot be a freemason. "Membership of masonic lodges and secret associations is incom- patible with the holding of judi- cial office. Likewise membership of any association that requires a promise of allegiance from its members is incompatible with ju- dicial office." The Code of Ethics furthermore prohibits judges and magistrates from a wide array of activities that can affect their credibility and trust. They are barred from holding voluntary, temporary or honorary posts which the Commission for the Administration of Justice says could "compromise or prejudice their position or duties or func- tions" and they have to inform the Chief Justice of any such post they hold. Any private activity they conduct cannot "tarnish their personal in- tegrity and dignity", and they can- not join associations whose na- ture "can be in conflict with their independence or impartiality" or support them financially or par- ticipate in their activities. They also cannot associate with persons or associations that could discredit the judiciary, "and they shall avoid conduct that could give rise to public scandal." Never denied being a freemason In a press conference convened after he controversially hosted a Christmas party inside his court- room back in 2013, Peralta had refused to deny or confirm his continued involvement in freema- sonry. When asked then by MaltaTo- day whether he was still a freema- son, Peralta had refused to answer, simply saying it was not illegal, and that ample European court judge- ments existed saying that there was no conflict between him being a freemason and a member of the judiciary. Nationalist deputy leader for party affairs Beppe Fenech Adami later stated in parliament that the magistrate's non-denial was seri- ous. "It is unacceptable that any individual occupying a public role is a member of a secret society." In the 1990s, Peralta had already been confirmed as having been a senior freemason at the Leinster lodge No 387, which would con- vene at Villa Blye in Paola before being sworn in as magistrate in 1990. Peralta's name had appeared on a letter the masonic brothers sent three days later after his appoint- ment as magistrate. The story was broken by Alternattiva – the de- funct newspaper published by Al- ternattiva Demokratika – in 1990. Two impeachment motions to remove Magistrate Peralta out of Code of Ethics prevents judges from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ÐGZRGTKGPEG.KEGPEG#$CTGCNUQ GUUGPVKCN;QWCNUQPGGFVQJCXGVJGCDKNKV[VQKFGPVKH[CPF UQNXGRTQDNGOUCV[QWTQYPKPKVKCVKXG 1WTENKGPVCYGNNMPQYPQTICPKUCVKQPGORNQ[KPIGORNQ[GGUQRGTCVKPIYKVJKPCURGEKCNKUGFHKGNFYKVJC[GCTN[DWFIGVGZEGGFKPIÝOKNNKQPKUEWTTGPVN[UGGMKPIVQ TGETWKVHQTVJGHQNNQYKPITQNGU Grand Secretary Tony Cilia Pisani and 'Most Worshipful Grand Master' Benjamin Muscat