Christopher Bartolo was discriminated against in drugs case, court rules timesofmalta.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesofmalta.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A man who endured a 15-year long court saga only to be cleared of drug trafficking charges and then fined for smoking an occasional joint has won €10,000 in compensation after a judge found the attorney general responsible for unacceptable delays.
The First Hall of the Civil Court in its constitutional jurisdiction found that although the law does not spell out the reasonable time in which a court process must be concluded, it was evident that 14 years, nine months and 17 days was excessive in such a case. Mr Justice Toni Abela ruled that the attorney general was solely responsible for the delays because of his mishandling of the court deferrals.