Judge slams 'manipulative orchestration' ahead of Caruana Galizia constitutional case

Advice given by a group of British lawyers to the Caruana Galizia family "undermined the rule of law by constituting an attack upon the independence and impartiality of the judiciary which lies at the heart of the sovereignty of law,”  Mr Justice Silvio Meli said on Tuesday. He made his comment at the first hearing related to a case instituted by the family to have Deputy Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta removed from the investigation into Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder. Mr Justice Meli also deplored "manipulative orchestration by the media" surrounding the event and slammed what he said was a neo-colonialist undertone to criticism of the process.     Mr Valletta is married to Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana and also sits on the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit board. The had been the subject of criticism by Ms Caruana Galizia.  The Caruana Galizia family say that Mr Valletta's involvement impinges on the investigation's objectivity and impartiality - a conclusion also reached by British law firm Doughty Street Chambers, which in advice solicited by the family wrote that the deputy commissioner should be removed from the case and that "external, impartial" investigators...