Over 100 court sittings are postponed in Gozo
More than 100 sittings of the Gozo courts have had to be postponed due to strike action being taken by lawyers.
The lawyers are refusing to attend sittings, bringing the Gozo courts to a complete standstill since Thursday. Among those issues is the absence of an assistant registrar and of a full-time court marshal.
Staff shortcomings are being experienced in several branches of the courts, documents are being lost or go unscanned and others are not being served on time to the parties or judges, the lawyers say.
Furthermore, the authorities had ignored shortcomings identified by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority and the Commission for People with Disabilities in the cramped old building itself, located within the Citadel.
The Court Services Agency met lawyers on Tuesday to hear about their complaints over a long list of shortcomings at the courthouse in Victoria. The lawyers are demanding improvement in the environment and facilities.
During the meeting, lawyers were told that a deputy registrar has been appointed and given information on measures that are to be taken. These include a marshal from Malta crossing over to Gozo twice a week and eventually daily.
The...