Get a life? Qed tinsinwa li DCG hija xi sotto-orgazmata ghax ghandha blog sura u qed tipprovdi kummentarju serju u necessarju fuq il-balordaggni fix-xena politika?

Denis Catania, mur xarrab il-kallijiet u kul il-baked beans direttament mil- landa, habib, u l-kummenti patetici tieghek hu pacenzja u zommhom ghalik.

@Nostradamus
Good question. I cannot claim that I have the correct answer. But, yes, prima facie, there appears to be a conflict in the analogy that you draw here. One can say that there is a perceived conflict of interest.

However, that word “before” may, in some cases, make a difference. So, for instance, one may need to consider how long before. Also the subject on which one may have advised a client as a legal adviser may make a difference. Sometimes, codes or rules of conduct may define those terms. The rules of conflict of interest are not always very clear cut, so when in doubt, it is probably safer to err on the side of caution.

@ciccio

The honour is reciprocated.

Let us consider an analogy.

A judge is presiding a case in which one of the parties had been a client of his before he became judge.

Would there be a conflict of interest?

I feel honored to write to Nostradamus, formerly Avatar. I agree with you also. Then the President should stand up and declare his conflict of interest in the matter, but this does not exhonerate him from performing his job of chairman of the Commission and demand that the Commission, in his absence, carries out with its job of investigating the allegations against the Magistrate and take the necessary actions.

However, even if the President had sponsored the Magistrate when she was appointed (I have not checked that fact), I do not believe, but I stand to be corrected, that this necessarily means that he has an institutional conflict of interest.

The appointment took place many years ago, in a different context. The President is now in a different role altogether and I would think he can still take a different view now. Of course, on a personal, rather than institutional basis, I would have no difficulty if he abstains anyway.

@ciccio

I agree 100%.

Only snag: The President of the Commission seems to have been the one to sponsor the Magistrate’s appointment.

Unless and until he declares he has a conflict of interest, and abstains, the farce will keep going on.

And all this under a PN government. As soon as Labour are elected to government Julia Farrugia and her ilk will have a free hand to do whatever they like. Journalistic ethos my foot. They have been waiting in the shadows for too long and they’re itching to be back in action. You just have to hear them talking to know.