The Maltese Constitution on the subject of parliamentarians of unsound mind

Of course, I would never recommend doing anything of the sort. Unless he is found on some Haz-Zebbug roundabout, declaiming while dressed as Caesar, it would be just too Stalinist.

But it’s interesting to see that the Constitution provides for it. In any case, it’s his family who have to call the doctors.

I read an interview in The Times a few days ago with a woman – and she wasn’t anonymous either – who had been behaving only marginally worse than our parliamentarian when her husband called the doctor, the doctor injected her with tranquillisers, the husband had her committed and they dragged her off to Mount Carmel, where she stayed for weeks.

Was she threatening people with knives, torturing animals or running naked through the streets? No, she had simply come off her anti-depressants, entered a manic state, and spent a day travelling all over Malta by bus, tipping the drivers.

That is what happens to women. Men get to go on television and be told to Keep It Up.

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALTA
CHAPTER VI – PARLIAMENT
PART 1

Article 54: Disqualifications for membership of House of Representatives
1. No person shall be qualified to be elected as a member
of the House of Representatives –
(…)
(e) if he is interdicted or incapacitated for any mental
infirmity or for prodigality by a court in Malta, or is
otherwise determined in Malta to be of unsound mind;

Article 55: Tenure of office of members
1. The seat of a member of Parliament shall become vacant –
(…)
(g) subject to the provisions of sub-article (2) of this article, if any circumstances arise that if he were not a member of the House of Representatives, would cause him to be disqualified for election thereto.

(2) (a) If circumstances such as are referred to in paragraph (g) of sub-article (1) of this article arise because any member of the House of Representatives is under sentence of death or imprisonment, interdicted or incapacitated or adjudged to be of unsound mind, adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt or convicted of an offence connected with elections and if it is open to the member to appeal against the decision (either with the leave of a court or other authority or without such leave), he shall forthwith cease to perform his functions as a member of the House but, subject to the provisions of this article, he shall not vacate his seat until the expiration of a period of thirty days thereafter: (…)