Philip Sciberras ( Zebbuġ , 7 October 1945 – 2 October 2023) was a Labor MP and Judge, and is a poet and writer.
The son of Savior and Mary Ann born Micallef, Sciberras studied at Zebbuġ Primary School, St. Aloysius College and the University of Malta where he graduated and became a lawyer in 1973.
In Politics
He became a member of parliament in 1979 after the resignation of Notary Juzè Abela . In the 1981 election he was elected for the sixth district. In the two following elections he was not elected. In the internal dispute of the Labor Party he served as a mediator between Prime Minister Alfred Sant and Dom Mintoff .
On 19 December 2010, the Labor Party selected Judge Emeritus Philip Sciberras to administer and distribute the funds that the Leader of the Opposition, along with other Labor MPs, had forgone from the salary increase granted by the Government.
Judge
He was appointed Judge on 9 December 2002. During his eight-year career as a Judge, between decisions of the Lower Court of Appeal and those of the First Hall of the Civil Court, he delivered no less than 2,529 judgments, including 69 judgments delivered on his last day, 6 October 2010, ie an average of 316 judgments per year.
In his speech on the occasion of his retirement, Judge Sciberras said:
"Every aspiring judge should understand that trust is not lost only by an act of corruption or favoritism, but also by laziness, negligence and insensitivity, even though these are grave faults. No matter how good the legislative amendments intended to speed up procedures and overcome exaggerated delays, in themselves scandalous, the aspiring judge should appreciate that, as Calamandrei used to say in his work "Elogio dei Guidici", the judge belongs to that religious order where if one becomes lazy and does not set a good example, it may come to the point that the believers lose their faith. I am saying this because, as you know, I have avoided as much as possible delays in the delivery of judgments and this without undue pressure on the Lawyer."
Sciberras said that he entered this position in the year during which the event that shook the judiciary took place a few months earlier:
"So you can imagine the kind of baptism I underwent. I did not give up because it seemed to me that I was capable of returning to my modesty and modesty, together with the majority of other hardworking judges, to do my part to regain the trust that had been shaken...
I worked in my own way, waking up early in the morning, reading the process, making notes, researching and drafting the sentences. This without any fanfare or fanfare... Today I honestly confess to you that I feel a certain pressure that I will end my career as a judge when I consider that I can still make a valuable contribution, however small. Before closing, I would like to reiterate that during these eight years I have observed a positive change in the conduct of cases and the quality of the sentences due to the collective effort made by a number of Judges and Magistrates. Eventually it is never enough. But in my humble opinion this effort should at least find a response of appreciation from those in whose power the choice 'ad altiora' depends."
Poet and Author
He was one of the founders of the Literary Awakening Movement. He published Priżmi ma' Dun Lawrenz Cachia (1968), Dawl fil-Persjani (1972), Mandala (1984) and "Mirja" (2014).
As for legal publications, he embarked on a monumental work entitled "The Alphabet of the Civil Code" which will consist of ten volumes.
He is married to Rose, born Apap, and has three children: Alexander, Lara and Andrew, and six grandchildren Ivan, Maya, Anja, Michael, Samuel and Matthew.