news
KSu canteen survey
K
su is currently conducting a survey among University and Junior College students about both institutions’ canteens. This will enable ksu to produce a report about the state of both canteens, more than a year since the takeover by a new operator. Questions in this review seek to glean from students
information about the variety of food and beverages on offer, the quality of service provided, and the prices being requested. The survey also tackles the new operator’s policy to segregate different counters according to the products being sold, and asks customers to identify those counters which are most and least efficient.
Christabel Catania
Attorney-General files
appeal on ‘Ir-Realtà’
O
n 14 March, persons who treasure the right to freedom of speech rejoiced at the acquittal of Mark Camilleri and Alex Vella Gera from obscenity charges. The two were acquitted by Magistrate Audrey Demicoli, after a long legal battle. Mark Camilleri, editor of Ir-Realtà newspaper, commented that at first he was worried that a judgment in favour of censorship would be delivered, but said that “when the police presented their case, I immediately predicted that I would win the case hands down”. Alex Vella Gera, the writer of the controversial story Li Tkisser Sewwi, and Camilleri, were charged under Article 208 of the Criminal Code, which concerns the distribution of pornographic material; this article carries a maximum jail term of six months and/or a fine of up to €465.87. To make matters worse, the Code has been amended to make the sentences harsher: six to twelve months imprisonment, and/or a fine of €1,000-3,000. This change to the Code was described by Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici as one intended to step up the fight against child pornography, a statement which is still approached sceptically, since the Criminal Code contains other provisions concerning pornography and minors. It all started when Mark Camilleri published Li Tkisser Sewwi, a graphic piece of fiction about sexual violence written by Mr Vella Gera. Its distribution was immediately prevented, as the University Rector Prof. Camilleri banned the newspaper’s distribution and reported the editor to the police. Many hoped that the story would come to an end with the acquittal, yet the Attorney General filed an appeal, saying that “God is above everything”. Mr Camilleri commented that this is a perfect example of our theocratic state at work. Camilleri added that religion should not be used as an excuse to suppress art. Political development in Europe has stopped this type of censorship, yet in Malta we are still lagging behind.
When asked whether the courts can decide what is art and what isn’t, he said that the courts shouldn’t be used to censor and judge works of art. Art, he continued, does not have the obligation to be either didactic or moralistic; art can be simply produced for aesthetic purposes, or to realistically depict life. The acquittal was welcomed by various organisations, including the Labour Party, which said that the court had effectively underlined the point that authors and writers should not be arraigned on criminal proceedings for publishing fiction. Alternattiva Demokratika welcomed the acquittal as a triumph of freedom of expression. Move, the Progressive Students’ organisation, added that this ought to give back our artists the confidence that might have been lost due to past debacles. Also, following the court judgment, Mr Camilleri demanded an apology from University Rector Juanito Camilleri for reporting the case, and added that it would be good if he stepped down. The Rector replied that he would not comment, “until it is clear whether an appeal by the competent authorities shall be filled or otherwise.” The two were acquitted on the basis that the prosecution had produced no evidence to define public morality in Malta, and how it had been infringed, since public morality changes over time. Furthermore, the publication was distributed only to students of the University and the Junior College, who are mature students having access to a variety of media, including books, newspapers, and the internet. And finally, the writer had exercised his freedom of expression through a literary work and no crime had resulted. The Front Against Censorship has stated that a change to some particular laws is necessary. Camilleri stated that the law legalising any critique or satire directed towards the Catholic Church and religion is required, while theatre and film need to be saved from the clutches of a censorship board.
insiteronline.com
07