Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/815607
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 26 APRIL 2017 5 RECENT reforms to the justice system have already left a positive impact in the family law sphere, ac- cording justice minister Owen Bon- nici. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Bonnici highlighted in- creased efficiency in Family Court proceedings over the first three months of this year, saying that the number of couples opting for medi- ation had increased by 26.5% com- pared to five years ago. The number of amicable outcomes has increased by a full 33%. This led to a 21.3% decrease in the amount of cases filed with the Fam- ily Court – from 244 to 192. "This is a very positive develop- ment, especially considering the fact that we have also reduced the tariffs applicable when opening pro- cedures within the Family Court," Bonnici said. With regards to mediation, 462 cases were opened in the first three months of this year, with only one cases remaining pending. Of the 461 mediation cases con- cluded, 213 were concluded after the parties reached an amicable solution and a further 24 were con- cluded following reconciliation. As of the end of March, there were 1,142 pending cases in the Family Court – 18% less than five years ago. News Panama committee MEP Sven Giegold said blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia should hand all documents to PANA inquiry committee PN seeking far-reaching coalition CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 So far, only the nascent Partit Demokratiku, spearheaded by independent MP Marlene Far- rugia, has heeded the PN's call. Its plan for a pre-electoral coali- tion, an unprecedented move in recent Maltese political history, will see the PD's candidates run on the PN ticket but distinguish themselves through the use of the 'Orange Party' nickname on the voting document. A spokesperson for the PN confirmed with MaltaToday that it has approached AD and that a meeting should be held, but didn't answer when asked whether what sort of coalition it has in mind. Notably, the PN dodged a point-blank question on wheth- er it plans to approach other small parties – namely the far- right Moviment Patrijotti Malt- in and the Eurosceptic Alleanza Bidla – with an offer for a pre- electoral coalition. AD Sliema councilor and former chairperson Michael Briguglio has urged his party to "consider" the possibility of a pre-electoral coalition with the PN, insisting this is the only way a third party can win a seat in parliament under the current electoral system. Before addressing the PN-or- ganised demonstration on Sun- day, Briguglio had an online spat with Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Arnold Cassola. In reply to Briguglio's call to join him in Sunday's demon- stration "and put country before party" Cassola said "the easiest thing for me, if I were an egoist just thinking of my welfare, is to push AD to join the Busuttil bandwagon. Cassola said last month that his party is open to forming a pre-electoral coalition with the PN, but that it mustn't take the form of its planned deal with the PD as that amounts to "assimila- tion". "What is being proposed is as- similation and not a coalition, as what is being suggested is that AD candidates join another par- ty list," he said. Cacopardo has also said that any potential coalition must involve the PN and the AD run- ning on a commonly agreed po- litical platform, but on two sepa- rate tickets. "An agreed electoral platform would address much more than issues of corruption and gov- ernance – on which there is a general position," he wrote on his blog. "An agreed electoral platform would necessarily be all-embracing and range from environmental matters to edu- cation, social, economic, fiscal and cultural policy, as well as all other matters so essential in running the country." "By its very nature, a pre-elec- toral coalition, if formed, signi- fies a commitment to do away with, once and for all, two-party politics and consequently signi- fies the substitution of the poli- tics of confrontation with the politics of consensus." tdiacono@mediatoday.com.mt Couples choosing mediation in Family Court on the rise Justice minister Owen Bonnici says that the number of couples opting for mediation had increased by 26.5% compared to five years ago • Number of amicable outcomes has increased by a full 33% Owen Bonnici (right) highlighted the increased effeciency in the Family Court Arnold Cassola