Paul Bonello: Pressure on the Court of Criminal Appeal Is Backfiring

Once again, Paul Bonello, a respected critic, has taken to social media to defend the jury system and criticise what he sees as pressure on the Court of Criminal Appeal from supporters of the association that claims to champion the rule of law and sections of the mainstream media.

Mr Bonello is certainly no supporter of Yorgen Fenech. He is, however, a staunch defender of the rule of law in its fullest sense. His criticism highlights how attempts to influence public opinion can become counterproductive, alienating the very people they seek to persuade.

Bonello wrote in Maltese. Below is an English translation of his post:

Let me draw a brief conclusion following this weekend’s heavy-handed efforts.

First, you alienated the jurors by putting needless pressure on them.

Now that the jury trial is over, you are gradually alienating the rest of the population by putting pressure on the Court of Criminal Appeal.

With all your cleverness—but a total lack of emotional intelligence—you are pushing the majority towards the other side.

Counterproductive. It is backfiring.

Jason, Edward, TOM, Newsbook, Net News—in short, all the press receiving donations from the Foundation for toeing the line—do us a favour: give us a break.