BirdLife Malta has said that A Civil Court has “just shot down” preliminary pleas by the Environment Minister and the Gozo Minister in proceedings where Birdlife Malta is challenging the Government’s decision to open the European Turtle-dove spring hunting season in April last year. Therefore the case is to proceed.

Judge Robert G. Mangion has declared that BirdLife Malta, as a “protector of birds and nature, has a legal right to challenge government in court.”

He also said that “although the Turtle-dove spring hunting season of 2022 is over, BirdLife Malta still has the right to ask the Court for its judgement on its legality.”

The Judge declared that the Ministers themselves (in this case the Minister for Gozo and the Minister for Environment) “are entirely responsible, and hence should face the challenges of BirdLife Malta in Court.”

BirdLife Malta has used the correct court procedure when filing this case, the Judge said and the expenses are to be taken up by the defendants.

Shot European Turtle-dove – Photo by BirdLife Malta

Permalink: BirdLife’s challenge of Government decision to allow turtle dove hunting continues