The Public Interest Litigation Network was created by the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation. The network is now made up of twenty-four members, four of whom make up the governance committee.
Together, members of the PILN cover a wide range of legal expertise with years of experience in the areas of human rights, media, environment and planning, constitutional, commercial and general civil and criminal law.
Governance Committee
Dr. Martina Farrugia
Chairwoman
Dr Martina Farrugia graduated from the University of Malta with a Doctorate of Laws in 2015 and in 2017 went on to read for a Masters in International Maritime Law at the IMO’s International Maritime Law Institute. She is now a practicing lawyer working within the Marine Litigation Department at Fenech & Fenech Advocates.
In 2017, following the assassination of the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Martina became heavily involved in a civil society movement Occupy Justice, a women-led pressure group calling for justice and accountability for Daphne’s murder. Since then, Martina has regularly spoken during the monthly vigils and annual protests organised by various civil society groups.
Martina has a keen interest in human rights law and public policy and is a strong believer in grassroots activism. She believes that the individual has the power to effect change through their daily choices and attitudes – ‘dripping water hollows out stone, not through force, but through persistence’. Martina believes that in the face of government inertia and institutional stagnation, change must come from the people, and the PILN is a means towards that change.
Dr. Eve Borg Costanzi
PILN Committee Member
Evelyn Borg Costanzi graduated as a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) with Archaeology in 2011 and achieved her law doctorate (LL.D) in 2014, with a thesis entitled The Significance and Scope of Separate Opinions at the European Court of Human Rights with particular reference to the Influence of Judge Giovanni Bonello. Dr Borg Costanzi was called to the Bar of Malta in February 2015.
Dr Borg Costanzi specialises in human rights and constitutional law, in which fields she has represented several clients before the European Court of Human Rights. In recent years, she has successfully argued cases before the domestic constitutional courts regarding freedom of expression and the right to life, leading to landmark judgments. She also practises civil law, with a specific focus on property law.
Dr Borg Costanzi has acted as rapporteur to the Human Rights Programme of the University of Malta and submitted a consultation report to the Government of Malta, on behalf of the Programme, aimed at creating a robust human rights and equality framework in Malta. Thereafter, she delivered her first public speech on this report at the University of Malta’s Public Law Conference entitled The Constitution: Fifty Years of Proposals and Counter-Proposals, held on Human Rights Day in 2014. The report was subsequently published in the University of Malta’s first issue of the Mediterranean Human Rights Review published in 2017.
In 2014, Dr Borg Costanzi received an award from the Strickland Foundation for her human rights literary contribution entitled: There Exists a Breach of His Human Rights, Not Yours: How Malta lags behind in the Protection and Observance of Human Rights and expanded her knowledge in the field through her participation in the course The European System of Human Rights Protection at the University of Viadrina, Germany.
Dr Borg Costanzi is a member of the Chamber of Advocates, the civil society network Repubblika, and the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation.
Dr. Michael Camilleri
PILN Committee Member
Dr Michael Camilleri studied law at the University of Malta graduating LL.D. in 2003. Between 2003 and 2004 he read for a Master of Arts in Human Rights & Democratisation also at the University of Malta graduating with a thesis on Derrida and Human Rights.
Michael was called to the Bar in June 2004 and since 2005, he has collaborated with the Jesuit Refugee Service Malta offering legal advice to refugees and asylum seekers and filing human rights cases in the Courts of Malta and the European Court of Human Rights.
Since 2006, Michael has worked as legal aid lawyer for appeal claims for refugee appeals in front of the Refugee Appeals Board. Between 2008 and 2015, he worked as a judicial assistant at the Courts of Malta. He joined the law firm Mamo TCV Advocates in 2017 and works in the litigation department of the firm. He also lectures at the University of Malta.
Dr. Therese Comodini Cachia
PILN Committee Member
Therese Comodini Cachia is a human rights lawyer, and combines legal practice with academia. She pleads before the national courts and the European Court of Human Rights, and is also a senior lecturer at the University of Malta.
She assists the family of assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, and represented the family in the Public Inquiry into her assassination. She is the legal consultant to the Legal Support Programme for Journalists advising journalists and independent media organisations on mitigating legal risks in their investigations.
Her latest publication, “Reforming Malta’s Media System” examines the prevailing media environment and proposes a reform for an enabling environment for media and journalists.
PILN Members
- Dr Christine Bellizzi
- Dr Claire Bonello
- Prof. Justin Borg Barthet
- Dr Andrew Borg Cardona
- Dr Martina Caruana
- Dr. Edward Camilleri
- Dr. Sylvanna Brannon
- Dr Gialunca Cappitta
- Dr Matthew Cutajar
- Dr Krista Ellul
- Dr Sarah Farrugia
- Dr Gege Gatt
- Dr Toks Hussain
- Dr Cedric Mifsud
- Dr Joseph Mizzi
- Dr Alain Muscat
- Dr Emma Portelli Bonnici
- Dr Ibtisam Sadegh
- Dr David Zahra
- Dr David Zammit
Joining
The PILN is a collaborative access to justice network that aims to strengthen the rule of law and drive broad accountability. Members must be qualified legal professionals: warranted lawyers or legal procurators.
If you are qualified and can provide pro bono support, please write to governance@piln.mt with a request to join.