Comments on: Alberto Magri and Don Manuel are friends

By: rotarjan

rotarjan — Sat, 29 Nov 2014 18:56:51 +0000

In reply to rotarjan.

So what would it be? Judge Emeritus Magri? I get confused these days what with everyone hanging on to their titles or indeed inventing ones.

[Daphne – Alberto Magri. Just as you wouldn’t routinely write about me as Mrs Peter Caruana Galizia, so you wouldn’t routinely write about Alberto Magri in the formal way. Similarly, if somebody has a doctorate, it does not follow that you must always doggedly write that Dr before his or her name, as you wouldn’t doggedly write Mr or Mrs before anybody else’s.

High Court judges are, in Britain, knighted on appointment and addressed, while in office, as ‘The Hon. Mr. Justice Smith’. When they retire, the ‘Mr Justice’ is dropped but the knighthood comes into play instead and they are addressed as The Hon. Sir Joe Smith. In the American knighthood-free system, retired judges are formally addressed or described as ‘The Hon’ in writing and the courteous form of address in speech is ‘Judge’.

Our High Court judges are not knighted but the form of address we use is the British one: The Hon. Mr. Justice. It therefore follows that we should use the same form on retirement too, obviously minus the form of address for a knight. So it becomes The Hon. Alberto Magri. And when you are addressing him directly and don’t know him well enough to call him ‘Albert’, it’s ‘Judge’.

Another point: when judges do not stay in retirement but take up paid work after leaving the bench, they lose this form of address because it is considered unseemly to enter employment or take up any form of work for financial gain while framed in the context of a retired judge, though it is perfectly acceptable to do so if you don’t take advantage of the situation by using the forms of address to which you are entitled as a retired judge.

If you have any further questions about these matters, I’d be happy to answer them. I feel I am doing my bit in the uphill battle against Maltese people going round tacking ’emeritus’ onto things.]

By: rotarjan

rotarjan — Sat, 29 Nov 2014 17:38:28 +0000

Mr Justice Magri would never let himself or the side down. The truth will prevail. . . . we trust.

[Daphne – He is no longer Mr Justice Magri. He is retired.]

By: sindikajra

sindikajra — Sat, 29 Nov 2014 15:11:03 +0000

Judge Magri is a well-respected man. Going to parties and having many friends in different circles does not make a judge incapable of carrying out his duties. This is no easy job and 3 retired judges were appointed .. there aren’t that many to chose from !! Have some respect !!

[Daphne – I have known Albert Magri since I was a child, way before he became a judge. It all depends on what sort of parties, and with whom. Multiple exclamation marks are banned on this website. I don’t think he should have accepted to chair a commission of inquiry into the behaviour of a man with whom he socialises. That is not an aberrant opinion. It is a normal one outside Berlusconi’s Italy and third world dictatorships. Whether he is independent or not is irrelevant. People have to know beyond doubt that he is, and the whole thing is unseemly.]

By: Rosie

Rosie — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 22:49:08 +0000

Judge , now that’s a big word.

By: Drinks With Vince Micallef

Drinks With Vince Micallef — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 21:40:44 +0000

In reply to wondering. Oh dear, more fool you then. Look at the woman he's just married. He could only have found her through those circles.

By: Drinks With Vince Micallef

Drinks With Vince Micallef — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 21:39:13 +0000

In reply to Qeghdin Sew. Which is the elephant in the room - the Freemasonry or the coke? Or both?

By: Drinks With Vince Micallef

Drinks With Vince Micallef — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 21:38:17 +0000

In reply to bob-a-job. No amount of Botox can solve the one in the pants region, though, Bob.

By: wondering

wondering — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 19:52:19 +0000

Never expected it from Judge Magri.

By: chico

chico — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 18:10:32 +0000

Honestly Daphne, I’m surprised that you’re surprised that a judge is his friend.

[Daphne – Did I sound surprised? I’m not. Not a judge, but that judge. Don’t tar all judges with the same brush.]

By: Watcher of lies and prime ministerial lies

Watcher of lies and prime ministerial lies — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 15:23:08 +0000

Musical beds; I love that.