WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) � The busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing was open Monday after protesters demonstrating against COVID-19 measures blocked it for nearly a week, but a larger protest in the capital, Ottawa, persisted as city residents seethed over authorities’ inability to reclaim the streets. Demonstrations against COVID-19 restrictions and other issues have blocked several crossings […]

這篇文章 Key US-Canada bridge reopens as Ottawa protest persists 最早出現於 The China Post, Taiwan。

De grote Iraanse regisseur Jafar Panahi gaat na meer dan zes maanden gevangenis in hongerstaking. Tegelijkertijd programmeert een filmfestival in Teheran Tori et Lokita. De Belgische regisseurs Jean-Pierre en Luc Dardenne wisten van niets en houden de vertoning nu tegen. ‘Dit festival is een vitrine van een dictatoriaal en moordzuchtig religieus regime.’

Maar liefst 62,5 procent van de mensen geeft aan dat ze zouden blijven werken als ze de Lotto winnen. Een overgrote meerderheid zou dus niet meteen gaan rentenieren. Want een job is zoveel meer dan enkel een inkomen, aldus professor Greet Van Hoye (UGent), die hierover samen met UGent@Work onderzoek deed, naar aanleiding van het nieuwe boek In conflict gaan met je baas.

In De Grote Post in Oostende zijn woensdagavond De Jamies uitgereikt, de Vlaamse online video awards. Onder meer Average Rob, Acid en de fictiereeks 2DEZIT vielen in de prijzen tijdens de geanimeerde awardshow in het kader van Filmfestival Oostende.

Zeker 45 ‘Intermarché by Mestdagh’-supermarkten hebben donderdag de deuren niet geopend, zo werd vernomen bij de christelijke vakbond.

The first Groundhog Day celebration dates back to 2 February, 1887

Former social services minister due to appear at high-profile royal commission on Thursday

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Christian Porter will face questions about his role in the failed robodebt scheme at a royal commission on Thursday, after Alan Tudge deflected responsibility on to Porter and former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Porter, who was social services minister at the initial height of the robodebt scandal in 2017, was responsible for the department that held conflicting internal legal advice about the program, including a damning opinion from 2014 that it was unlawful.

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Brörán leader Yehry Rivera, 45, was shot and killed by Juan Varela during conflict in Terraba community in February 2020

A Costa Rican court has sentenced a man to 22 years behind bars for the murder of an Indigenous land rights defender in 2020, in a case which stoked decades-old tensions between native communities and farmers over disputed territory.

Yehry Rivera, a leader of the Brörán people, was shot from behind and killed by farmer Juan Varela during a land conflict in the Terraba community, 80 miles (130 km) south-east of the capital San Jose in Puntarenas province.

Agency’s economic report card says recommends pushing ahead with stage-three tax cuts to reduce the personal income tax burden

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Australia’s economy is tracking towards a soft landing but the International Monetary Fund envisions more cash rate increases in 2023.

The IMF has slightly downgraded its growth expectations for Australia and anticipates growth slowing from 3.6% in 2022 to 1.6% in 2023, down a touch from the 1.7% predicted in November.

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Inter-American Court of Human Rights concludes state allowed eradication of 6,000 Patriotic Union party members in 1980s

Colombia has pledged to pay reparations to victims after the inter-American court of human rights (IACHR) concluded the state allowed the systematic extermination of the leftwing Patriotic Union (UP) party in the 1980s and 90s.

The UP was a political party created out of a peace process with the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Farc) guerrillas in 1985 but 6,000 of its members were wiped out by rightwing paramilitaries, narcos and the Colombian military.

Washington officials appear to confirm deal to restrict export of semiconductor manufacturing technology to China

A Washington official has made the most direct comments by a US authority to date acknowledging the existence of a deal with Japan and the Netherlands for those countries to impose new restrictions on exports of chipmaking tools to China.

“We can’t talk about the deal right now,” said Don Graves, deputy commerce department secretary, on the sidelines of an event in Washington. “But you can certainly talk to our friends in Japan and the Netherlands.”

In a speech in London, Penny Wong calls on nations to examine how they use power and networks to avoid conflict

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The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, is calling on all countries to play their part to prevent a “catastrophic” war in the Indo-Pacific region.

Amid increasing tensions between the US and China, Wong warned in London on Tuesday that the region was becoming “more dangerous and volatile”.

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Beijing reacts angrily to reports that Washington has moved to restrict American exports to hi-tech company

China has reacted angrily to reports that the United States has stopped approving licences for American companies to export most items to China’s hi-tech company Huawei, accusing the US of deliberately targeting Chinese companies under the pretext of national security.

US officials are creating a new formal policy of denial for shipping items to Huawei that would include items below the 5G level, including 4G items, wifi 6 and 7, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing and cloud items, according to a Reuters report that quoted unnamed sources.

Prime Minister Robert Abela has indicated that no public inquiry will be called to look into the death of Jean Paul Sofia. 

Abela was responding to a parliamentary question filed by PN MP Jerome Caruana Cilia who asked whether a public inquiry will be appointed to look into the tragic death. 

The 20-year old lost his life on the 3rd December of 2022 when a three-storey building collapsed in Kordin; it took 16 hours for the Civil Protection Department to clear the rubble and retrieve his body. 

Five others were hospitalised as a result of the incident, which proved a talking point over a perceived lack of building quality in the half-built factory.  Nobody has been charged over the incident thus far. 

“An inquiring magistrate is leading an inquiry into this case, while investigations from other relevant authorities are also taking place. If we really want justice, these institutions need to be allowed to work in serenity,” the Prime Minister said. 

“At the same time, I appeal to them to give maximum importance to this case, so that the victim’s family and society can enjoy swift justice,” he added. 

Caruana Cilia has previously suggested that the authorities are trying to bury this case in order to avoid the ire of certain “big shots” with access to people in positions of power. 

The man accused of murdering a young Polish student on 2 January, 2022, had insisted with medical staff who examined him that he was in perfect health, the court heard on Wednesday.

Medical staff from the Floriana Health Centre were testifying in the compilation of evidence against Abner Aquilina, accused of murdering Paulina Dembska at Sliema's Independence Garden.

Magistrate Marseanne Farrugia heard the health centre staff say that Aquilina's behaviour led them to suspect otherwise.

Dr Andrew Hall, who had examined Aquilina after his arrest, testified first. The accused had been brought to him by the police in view of his antics in a church, he said.

“I examined his mental state and referred him for psychiatric treatment,” the doctor said, explaining that he had made the referral after conferring with on call psychiatry specialists.

“During my examinations, I noticed that he was not taking care of his appearance. He was repeating the same words over and over again. He did not maintain eye contact and was agitated,” the doctor said under cross-examination by lawyer Stefano Filletti, who is representing the family of the victim.

The accused had told him that he had seen “a woman dressed in white and had followed her into a church.”

Aquilina grinned in court as his Balluta church antics were described on the witness stand.

“He said there was an influence controlling his thoughts and actions. When I asked him what this influence was, he put his finger over his mouth and made a shushing sound and said he couldn’t give a reply,” the doctor testified.

The witness said he had consulted with colleagues in psychiatry and they had recommended that Aquilina be assessed and observed further.

Filletti read from the medical report: “[Aquilina] insisted that he was in perfect health and showed signs of agitation that increased with the number of questions asked.”

“Did he give details of what he had done in church?” asked the lawyer. “No, but the police had mentioned that he had been kicking things over inside Balluta church.”

The doctor had not asked Aquilina about the murder as he had not been linked to it at that time, he said.

When cross-examined by Aquilina’s defence lawyer Mario Mifsud, the witness said that he had recommended Aquilina immediately be taken to hospital, on the advice of the psychiatrists on call, but was not able to confirm that this had, in fact, taken place.

The accused’s constant grin widened as the next witness, a senior staff nurse at the Floriana Health Centre, took the stand, although the reason for this is not clear.

“I had taken care of the patient myself and had passed on some swabs of the blood that was on his hands, to the police.” The witness recognised the accused in the dock, saying that he had bleached blonde hair at the time.

“When he came in he was agitated, I had to clean his hands because they were full of blood. His left hand had been bandaged, but not by us,” she said, explaining that he had been using a camouflage pattern bandage that had not been issued by the health service.

“He wanted me to clean the wound with only saline solution, he snatched the bottle to check if it was saline.” She had handed the blood swabs to one of the three police officers accompanying Aquilina, she said.

The court also heard two police constables testify about the crime scene. The witnesses, both recalled being dispatched to Sliema by the control room. As they approached the scene, a foreign national had approached them to tell them where the body was.

He explained that he had attempted to cover the victim to protect the woman’s modesty until the police arrived, because she was partially unclothed. The police officers said they had then covered Dembska’s body with a sheet.

Her jeans and underwear were also found at the scene, they said also describing how her running shoes had been at the side, together with a cream-coloured handbag. A clump of hair, which they suspected to have belonged to the victim, was hanging on the railing. The victim had also been hit in the face, they said.

Both officers were shown photos of the crime scene and asked to confirm the details.

The court upheld a request by the prosecution asking for a witness to testify from Colombia via videoconferencing . The court appointed a translator to translate a request to this effect from Maltese to Spanish, in order for it to be sent to the Colombian authorities.

The case continues in March.

Inspector Shaun Pawney assisted by AG lawyers Darlene Grima and Anthony Vella led the prosecution. Defence lawyer Mario Mifsud appeared for the accused. Lawyer Stefano Filletti assisted as parte civile.

A survey carried out by The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry showed that 17% of family businesses do not have the most basic form of governance or a functioning board of directors (BOD).

The results of the survey were revealed by the Chamber on Wednesday whilst celebrating its 175 year anniversary. The survey received replies from 120 family businesses.

President of the Chamber Marisa Xuereb spoke about the important role family businesses have in Malta’s economy.

She said that the Chamber has been committed to supporting them through a number of initiatives, such as the training courses for family businesses which were launched in June 2022.

She said that in spite of all the challenges many family businesses face, especially right now, these businesses have a tendency to fall short of the basic need to have good governance.

Energy and Enterprise Minister Miriam Dalli was also present at the press conference and she said that this survey was another milestone marking the continuation of what was started six years ago with the beginning of the family business office.

She mentioned how there were 259 family businesses registered with the Chamber, and in reality there are actually more operating in the country. She added that family businesses make up 75% of the businesses in Malta which make them the “backbone of our economy”.

Therefore, she said, the government will continue providing support to give more importance to good governance. She said that through the family business office, there is a lot of guidance and incentives which help support family businesses.

She said that the government is focused on making sure that these family businesses carry the meaning of continuity as the vision is a long-term strategy. She said that family businesses must give more importance to good governance in order to achieve this.

She also said that under the family business grant the support more than tripled in a year.

Chairperson of the Malta Chamber Family Business Committee Silvan Mifsud presented the results of the survey.

In the survey, respondents were asked whether the family business has a functional BOD, out of 115 respondents to this question, 96 respondents (83%) reported that they have a BOD that meets regularly to discuss whilst the rest (19 respondents, 17%) said they did not.

Mifsud said that those who said that they did not have a functional BOD had a very backwards-looking mindset when making decisions about the future direction, such as taking matters as and when they arise and as necessary and informal discussions.

Mifsud said that family businesses need to find a balance and compromise when there is conflict. He said that these businesses can only survive if the “’we’ is greater than the ‘me’ ”. He added that it is extremely important that family businesses find a place to discuss business matters.

In order for family businesses to transform themselves they need strategic planning to make sure that they are all on the same page.

Asked whether they have a strategic plan, out of 114 respondents, 38 respondents (33%) said that they have one which is regularly reviewed. 57 respondents (50%) said that they do not have one but they want to get there, and 19 respondents (17%) said that they do not need it.

Mifsud also spoke about the importance of resilience which comes through succession planning, and it was important to note that businesses understand that this needs to be treated as a journey, not an event.

Asked whether they have written a succession plan, out of 108 respondents, 38 respondents (35%) said that they have and 70 respondents (65%) said that they do not have one.

He said that this is important as it gives peace of mind to business owners, and allows businesses to scale up through governance whilst making sure that there are enough checks and balances to do so.

He said that it is never too early to start the succession planning journey.

Asked about family business priorities, retaining one’s present labour force, having regular and timely reporting of financial performance and key KPIs and improving financial performance to survive, he said that these were all very much inward-looking, here and now.

He mentioned how it was encouraging to see that improving digitalisation and being environmentally friendly are pretty high up.

He pointed out that anything linked to future thinking, like increasing the involvement of the next generation was too far down on the importance list.

Pursuing strategic acquisitions or mergers, Beefing up your board of directors with independent and non-executive directors and increasing investments in innovation and R&D were given the least importance.

More statistics revealed that 50% of family businesses who declared that they have a functioning BOD, then do not have a written strategic plan or feel that they do not need one.

95% of those family businesses who declared that they do NOT have a functioning Board of Directors, do not have a written strategic plan.

73% of family businesses that declared that they do NOT have a written strategic plan also have no written succession plan.

51% of those family businesses that declared that they have a written strategic plan also have a written succession plan.

When comparing the priorities of family businesses with a BOD as opposed to those who do not, the ones with a functioning BOD gave greater importance to timely financial reporting as they would need to report to the Board as opposed to those not having a Board.

Also, those with a board gave more importance to adapting their business model.

When comparing the priorities of family businesses that have a strategic plan, those that have given more importance to the training & reskilling of their workforce and the re-thinking of their business model than those family businesses with no written strategic plan.

Lastly, when comparing the priorities of family businesses with a succession plan, family businesses with a succession plan gave more importance to the training and re-skilling of their employees and the increased involvement of the next generation than those family businesses that do not have a written succession plan.

On the 22 June 2022, in the case of ‘A. Pace Balzan v Citadel Insurance p.l.c.’, the Court of Appeal in its inferior jurisdiction, presided over by Judge Lawrence Mintoff, delved into the concept of juridical interest in the context of an insurance claim.

Facts of the Case

The case was brought before the Court of Appeal by the appellant, following an arbitral decision granted on the 10 November 2021, wherein the Malta Arbitration Centre had rejected the pleas made by the plaintiff against Citadel Insurance p.l.c. (“Citadel”).

The case concerned a claim made by the plaintiff in respect of damage caused to his yacht due to bad weather conditions between the 23 – 24 February 2019 while the yacht was berthed at the Gzira Strand. The yacht in question was covered by an insurance policy issued by Citadel, who refused to honour the claim made by the plaintiff.

The plaintiff proceeded to institute proceedings at the Malta Arbitration Centre, whereby he requested the recovery of costs in relation to damages caused to his yacht amounting to €14,317.68, together with interest at the rate of 8% (the maximum percentage permitted by Maltese law), to be incurred from the date on which the judicial letter had been served upon Citadel.

Citadel rebutted the claims stating that the plaintiff had failed to prove (by means of a survey report or other similar documentation) that he had carried out the necessary actions on his yacht as required by the insurance endorsement issued by Citadel. Furthermore, Citadel stated that this amounted to a breach of warranty of the insurance policy, and that consequently, the insurance policy was not deemed to have come into effect yet. Citadel therefore stated that they should not be held liable to honour the claim made by the plaintiff.

The Arbiter noted that the plaintiff instituting the proceedings at the Malta Arbitration Centre had the obligation to prove that he had a juridical interest in the case, and that he did, in fact, suffer a loss as a result of the damage caused to his yacht. The Arbiter referred to the testimony made by the plaintiff’s son, who had stated that he (the plaintiff’s son) had directly incurred all the costs to remedy the damage caused to his father’s yacht. The Arbiter stated that despite the plaintiff being the owner of the yacht, the expenses incurred to repair the yacht had been settled by the plaintiff’s son and not by the plaintiff, and hence the plaintiff could not be deemed to have had a juridical interest in these proceedings.

The Court’s Considerations

Following the Arbiter’s decision, the plaintiff (on appeal referred to as the “appellant”) instituted proceedings in the Court of Appeal on the 26 November 2021, requesting the Court of Appeal to revoke the arbitral decision in its entirety.

The Court of Appeal proceeded to consider the appellant’s requests. The first claim made by the appellant was that the Arbiter’s decision had not been based on the facts of the case, and that the decision was motivated by ‘parameters’ that went beyond those raised by the parties, namely that Arbiter’s decision had been based on the notion of juridical interest, when such a defence had not been raised by the defendant during the arbitral proceedings.

The second claim made by the appellant concerned the testimony made by the appellant’s son, which testimony the appellant said had been intended to prove that his son used to take care of the yacht on the appellant’s behalf and hence, that the appellant should indeed be deemed to have had a juridical interest in the case. The appellant made reference to his son’s testimony, who had stated what had happened. The appellant’s son had opened the claim with Citadel on behalf of his father. Citadel had asked the appellant’s son for copies of invoices and receipts. The appellant further explained to the Court that an agreement had not been reached between his son and Citadel regarding the amount offered by Citadel, and the appellant’s son had asked Citadel for an explanation regarding the amount being offered, to which Citadel did not provide an explanation. The appellant explained that his son had provided a copy of his (and his father’s) bank statements, which clearly indicated the expenses incurred in repairing the yacht. The appellant’s son had furthermore stated in his testimony that he had carried out some repairs himself, at his own expense.

The appellant furthermore pointed out to the Court of Appeal that at no point during the arbitral proceedings did Citadel’s representative contest the claim made by the plaintiff or raise the defence of lack of juridical interest. In fact, Citadel’s representative had confirmed that the receipts provided by the appellant’s son had amounted to €3,254.80. The appellant stated that the arbitral proceedings had been instituted since the sum of €3,254.80 was not sufficient to cover the expenses that had been incurred by his son in repairing the yacht. The appellant also referred to the cross-examination of Citadel’s representative which had taken place during the arbitral proceedings, whereby Citadel’s representative had stated that the dispute was merely about the quantum of the claim, and not about the plaintiff’s right of cover. The appellant furthermore insisted that despite the fact that his son took care of his yacht, carried out certain repairs, knew of the facts, filed the claim, and was involved in the negotiations with Citadel, the fact remained that the name appearing on the policy was that of the appellant and not of his son. The appellant reiterated that the claim was a contractual one, i.e. arising out of the policy entered into between Citadel and the appellant, and that the Court of Appeal should therefore revoke the Arbiter’s decision. The appellant stated that the reimbursement (or lack of reimbursement) from the appellant to his son was an issue extraneous to this case, and should not affect the outcome of the judgement, and that in any case, it was impossible for the appellant’s son to institute proceedings against Citadel, since there was no juridical relationship between them.

Citadel rebutted the appellant’s claims, quoting the Latin maxim of ‘semper necessitas probandi incumbit ei qui agit’ (meaning that he who alleges must prove). Citadel also stated that the fact that the dispute related to the quantum, did not in any case mean that Citadel had accepted that there indeed was a juridical interest.

After considering the facts of the case, the Court of Appeal concluded that the determining factor in deciding the dispute between the parties was indeed the issue of juridical interest. The Court of Appeal stated that in order for the appellant to succeed in his action, it was fundamental for the appellant to prove that he had directly suffered the damages being claimed from the defendant.

The Court of Appeal proceeded to deny the appellant’s claims, while confirming in its totality the decision of the Arbiter.

Nico Fauser is an Advocate at Ganado Advocates

Prosecutors linked Alec Baldwin to an expansive list of alleged failures in firearms safety as they filed a felony involuntary manslaughter charge Tuesday against the actor in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico movie set.

Halyna Hutchins died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin was pointing a pistol at Hutchins when the gun went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Baldwin and film-set weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed face charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Hutchins on the set of the Western movie “Rust.”

A manslaughter charge can be brought for a killing that occurs while a defendant is doing something lawful but dangerous and is acting negligently or without caution.

Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed maintain their innocence and have vowed to fight the charges.

In newly filed court documents, prosecutors say reckless safety failures accompanied the film production from the outset. They cite Baldwin's failure as an actor to appear for mandatory firearms training prior to filming and his decision as a producer to work with Gutierrez-Reed, who was an uncertified and inexperienced armorer.

A probable cause statement from investigators traces safety failures across a 10-day period from misfires on set and a camera crew walkout to the moments before Hutchins' death as a revolver was loaded with ammunition and Baldwin's finger came to rest on the pistol's trigger.

“Baldwin's deviation from known standards, practices and protocol directly caused the fatal death of Hutchins,” Robert Shilling, a special investigator for the Santa Fe district attorney’s office, said in the probable cause statement.

Baldwin’s attorney Luke Nikas declined to comment Tuesday and referred to a previous statement in which he called the charges a “terrible miscarriage of justice” that he and his client would fight and win.

“Mr. Baldwin had no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun – or anywhere on the movie set,” the statement said. “He relied on the professionals with whom he worked.”

Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney said they would release a statement later.

Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies told The Associated Press in a Jan. 19 interview that the set was “really being run pretty fast and loose” and Baldwin should have known there were previous misfires on the set and multiple people had brought up safety concerns. She also highlighted Baldwin as the person "that held the gun, that pointed the gun and that pulled the trigger.”

With charges filed on Tuesday, Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will be issued a summons to appear in court, possibly by remote webcast. Prosecutors will forgo a grand jury and rely on a judge to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move toward trial. A decision could take up to 60 days.

The manslaughter charges against Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed include two alternative standards and sanctions.

One version would require proof of negligence, which is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 fine under New Mexico law.

The second alternative is reckless disregard of safety “without due caution and circumspection.” It carries a higher threshold of wrongdoing and includes a “firearm enhancement” that could result in a mandatory five years in prison because the offense was committed with a gun.

A jury may decide which definition of manslaughter to pursue, prosecutors said.

Defense litigator Kate Mangels, whose work includes the entertainment sector, said prosecutors submitted a robust analysis of Baldwin's safety responsibilities as actor and producer on “Rust.”

“The fact that they separated out Alec Baldwin the actor versus Alec Baldwin the producer shows to me that they're potentially foreseeing a challenge to his culpability as to either of those roles,” said Mangles, who is based in Santa Monica, California. “So they want to differentiate ... and provide a robust analysis of both of those separately.”

Investigators said reckless safety failures culminated when Baldwin drew a revolver from a holster, pointed it at Hutchins and fired the weapon when a plastic or replica gun should have been used by industry standards.

Photos and videos of the rehearsal, including moments before the deadly shooting, showed Baldwin with his finger inside the trigger guard and on the trigger while “manipulating” the pistol’s hammer, investigators said, noting that an FBI analysis shows the pistol could not be fired without pressing the trigger.

Baldwin, who has described the killing as a tragic accident, said he was told the .45-caliber revolver was safe. The 64-year-old actor has sought to clear his name by suing people involved in handling and supplying the loaded gun.

Baldwin said in his lawsuit that, while working on camera angles with Hutchins, he pointed the gun in her direction and pulled back and released the hammer of the weapon, which discharged.

Defense attorney Jason Bowles, who represents Gutierrez-Reed, said the charges are the result of a “flawed investigation” and an “inaccurate understanding of the full facts.”

The decision to charge Baldwin marks a stunning turn of events for an A-list actor whose 40-year career included the early blockbuster “The Hunt for Red October” and a starring role in the sitcom “30 Rock,” as well as iconic appearances in Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and a film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengary Glen Ross.” In recent years, Baldwin was known for his impression of former President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”

Prosecutors said a proposed plea agreement signed by assistant director David Halls, who oversaw safety on set, has not yet been approved by a judge and cannot be published.

Halls had agreed to plead guilty in the negligent use of a deadly weapon, explaining that he may have handled the gun improperly before it was given to Baldwin, prosecutors said.

Nationalist MP Albert Buttigieg said that builders and contractors should be licensed.

He spoke in Parliament as MPs were discussing an amendment to the Criminal Code that will authorize  the involvement of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority in magisterial inquirues arising out of industrial accidents or incidents happening at a place of work.

The role of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) is to oversee workplace safety. To date, the OHSA can investigate cases but it is not involved in the magisterial inquiry appointed to every incident in the workplace. The magisterial inquiry collects and protects necessary evidence and determines whether any specific person or persons may be arraigned.

The PL insisted that this will not affect the process of the magisterial inquiry, it will only be aiding the process of the magisterial inquiry.

However, the PN has said that this proposed bill is "half-baked" and "dangerous" as it would allow external interference in the magisterial inquiry process which could compromise the rights of both victims and the accused. The PN emphasised the importance of maintaining independence during the magisterial inquiry process.

Buttigieg pointed out how other professions such as lawyers and doctors all need licensing, however, builders and contractors do not need it, even though people's lives depend on them.

He also said there is a course at MCAST which should become obligatory for all builders and contractors.

When talking about the number of pending magisterial inquiries, he said that there is an agreement from both sides of the House that there is a backlog open magisterial inquiries for injuries and fatalities.

Buttigieg also insisted that the number of fatalities should not only be seen as a statistic, because behind every death there is a family that is traumatised.

He added that more human resources are needed to deal with cases.

"Justice delayed is justice denied."

He said that if the government believes that there is a need for more of this kind of work, the government needs to make sure that professionals are carrying out this work.

He pointed out that the almost 4400 inspections that the OHSA carried out last year were not enough and more needed to be done. He compared this to 2001 when there were over 9000 inspections, during a time when less development was taking place.

He also said that spot checks need to be more frequent, and therefore, it should be an obligation that an OHSA official is on construction sites with a checklist to make sure everything is in order.

PL MP Ray Abela pointed out how 6000 skill cards have been granted to workers who have undertaken the basic course since the Building Industry Consultative Council launched the skills card.

He also said that besides the inspections the OHSA carried out in 2022, it issued almost 600 notices to improve health and safety, and almost 700 notices to stop works being carried out.

There were a total of 513 cases of victims of domestic violence in 2022, data tabled in Parliament by family Minister Michael Falzon showed

The minister said that Aġenzija Appoġġ doesn't investigate reports, but rather offers support to victims who come forward.

Falzon was replying to a parliamentary question by PN MP Bernice Bonello.

Data showed the number domestic violence victims of various ages for the years 2012 to 2022.

In 2012 there were a total of 520 females and 17 males, in 2013 531 females and 15 males, in 2014 516 females and 19 males, in 2015 there were 520 females and 17 males, in 2016 there were 457 females and 10 males, in 2017 there were 490 females and 17 males, in 2018 there 603 females and 62 males.

However from 2019 till 2021 there was a drastic increase in numbers as in 2019 there were 926 females and 223 males, in 2020 there were 1060 females and 230 males, in 2021 there were 924 females and 175 males.

In  2022, the number of victims almost halved and went back to what the average was before 2019 with 421 females and 92 males.

In his explanation Falzon said that that when contacted Agenzija Appogg does a risk assessment from which a personalised action plan is derived.

Additionally another risk assessment is also carried out within 24 of police receiving the report, after which a social worker is allocated to the case.

The minister said that when a victim contacts the agency, a risk assessment is carried out and the victim is guided to file a report with the police, and a medical reports in cases where they would have injuries as a result of abuse.