https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/1124 2026-08-21T15:42:31Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148535 Title: Does the jury system breach human rights? Abstract: Professor of Law Kevin Aquilina has called for the government to establish a commission to undertake an in-depth review of Malta’s jury system, arguing that it has become increasingly complex and difficult to manage.; In an opinion piece being published in The Malta Independent on Sunday today, Prof. Aquilina questions whether the jury system remains relevant in its present form, pointing to the lack of formal training for jurors, the complexity of modern trials and the lengthy periods during which jurors can be required to remain separated from their families and the outside world. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148489 Title: Manifesto for change at the Planning Authority Abstract: The latest public consultation document on planning law is a meaningless exercise for it does not really address the crux of the problem. It continues to be an exercise in patchwork. There is no real in-depth thought behind this consultation. Hence, it is not the purpose of this contribution to waste reader’s time by discussing a futile cosmetic consultation. 2026-08-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148410 Title: Constitutional redress for institutional failures Abstract: The wife and daughter of marine biologist Albert Brian Rosso, who disappeared nearly 20 years ago, have been awarded €350,000 in compensation after the court found that the state had failed to protect his fundamental right to life. The case in the names of Mary Rose Rosso and Desiree Marie Grech Rosso vs. the State Advocate, Attorney General, and Commissioner of Police, was heard before the First Hall of the Civil Court in its Constitutional Jurisdiction. The proceedings were initiated by Rosso’s wife and daughter as his immediate relatives, following his disappearance on 10 October 2005, These constitutional proceedings were triggered due to procedural pitfalls that severely impacted the Rosso family following Mr. Rosso’s disappearance in 2005. [extract] 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148409 Title: The lawyer’s vital role in the criminal process Abstract: Cicero gave us the maxim, Legum servi sumus ut liberi esse possimus (we are all servants of the laws in order that we may be free). It is a maxim that encapsulates the concept of the rule of law, meaning that no person is above the law, that no one can be punished by the state except for a breach of the law and that no one can be convicted of breaching the law except in the manner set forth by the law itself. Beyond a shadow of doubt, this maxim finds its best application in criminal law. Indeed, it is the duty of every legal practitioner, be it a judge, magistrate or lawyer (prosecution or defence), to apply and interpret the law rigorously and fairly in the best interests of justice. [extract] 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z