Court Denies PBS and Regulator Request in Nationalist Party Broadcasting Case
In brief
- A constitutional court dismissed pleas by PBS and the Broadcasting Authority to rule on preliminary objections first.
- The legal action, launched by the Nationalist Party, challenges alleged political imbalance in public broadcasting.
- Madam Justice Charmaine Galea decreed that proceedings must now move forward to address the substance of the claims.
The First Hall of the Civil Court in its constitutional jurisdiction has rejected a bid by Public Broadcasting Services and the Broadcasting Authority to have preliminary pleas decided before the core of a lawsuit filed by the Nationalist Party is heard.
The opposition party initiated the case over allegations of systemic political bias and a lack of impartiality in state broadcasting.
Both the national broadcaster and the broadcasting regulator had submitted requests asking the court to deliver a ruling on preliminary matters prior to examining the central merits of the claim.
In a decree delivered on the matter, Madam Justice Charmaine Galea turned down the request, instructing that the case proceed directly to consider the substance of the allegations.
The decision ensures that the dispute moves ahead without a separate preliminary phase, focusing directly on whether constitutional standards of broadcasting balance were breached.
Court hearings are set to continue as both sides prepare to present further arguments and evidence on the merits of the case.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets reported the court decree factually, with minor variations in headline tone regarding the legal manoeuvres.