MALTA
Malta Independent

A Constitutional court accepted a number of plaintiffs’ requests for the recusal of Judge Joseph R Micallef in a civil case where they are claiming damages over child abuse suffered at the hands of now defrocked and imprisoned priests Godwin Scerri, Charles Pulis and the Missionary Society of St Paul (MSSP).

The plaintiffs – Lawrence Grech, Joseph Magro, Leonard Camilleri, David Cassar, Noel Dimech, Angelo Spiteri, Raymond Azzopardi, Charles Falzon, Philip Cauchi and Joseph Mangion – had filed a criminal case against the Curia, the two priests who had abused them, the Missionary Order of St. Paul (MSSP), the Prime Minister, the Education and Family ministers and the Attorney General in 2012. The plaintiffs had claimed that the authorities had been aware of the abuse, but had done nothing to stop it.

Mr Scerri and Mr Pulis had been allowed to keep their positions at the…