Watch: These Lawyers Are Giving Victims A Free Pathway To Maltese Justice But They Need Your Help
From fighting for a public inquiry into Jean Paul Sofia’s death to defending a comedian who has been charged by the police for something he said on stage, a group of lawyers is offering several victims a pathway to justice.
PILN (Public Interest Litigation Network) was set up by the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation to take on cases concerning discrimination, human rights violations, abuse of power and state corruption.
It has developed into a wide network of lawyers who offer pro bono legal assistance in their fields of expertise, ranging from human rights and media to planning, constitutional, commercial, civil and criminal law.
“Abuses happen and there is a lack of accountability because people have no pathway to justice. PILN provides that pathway for regular citizens,” Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation director Matthew Caruana Galizia explained.
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Some of PILN’s major cases so far include representing Jean Paul Sofia’s mother family in their successful quest for a public inquiry and an ongoing civil case for damages, and Jaiteh Lamin, a Ghanian construction worker who was allegedly abandoned by the wayside in 2021 after suffering a serious workplace injury.
“There are a lot of victims of injustices who need help and who might not even be aware that they are victims of injustice,” PILN chairperson Martina Farrugia said.
PILN lawyers successfully represented Jean Paul Sofia's mother Isabelle Bonnici
“In Malta, change doesn’t happen on its own. Sometimes you need to give a bit of a gentle nudge or a not-so-gentle nudge to affect change and encourage change.”
While PILN lawyers offer their services on a completely pro bono basis, fighting a case in court does cost money, even with lawyer fees taken out of the equation. This is because the court registry charges several fees, such as when opening a case, issuing a subpoena and notifying a party.
PILN are therefore accepting donations, which can be made here or by bank transfer through the following details, with note in the transfer indicating that it’s for use by the PILN.
Account name: The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
IBAN: MT83 MMEB 4433 6000 0000 3340 1910 001
SWIFT code: MMEBMTMT
Address: 56 Melita Street, Valletta VLT 1122, Malta
Cover photo: From left: Isabelle Bonnici, Jaiteh Lamin, Daniel Xuereb
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