[WATCH] Protect citizens from ‘arrogance of power’, Archbishop tells legal professionals

Archbishop Charles Scicluna has cautioned lawyers and members of the judiciary not to become instruments of oppression at a mass inaugurating the new court year.

He was delivering the homily to a congregation that packed one of the annexes at St John’s Co-Cathedral, made up of current and former members of the judiciary, and lawyers.

The mass was held with Caravaggio’s beheading of St John as a backdrop. You can follow the mass on this link below. To get to the homily, scroll forward to 10:00.

Scicluna based his homily on the Aristotelian virtues of prudence, temperance and justice, linking these to life today.

Caravaggio’s painting depicts a grave injustice, Scicluna said. “It should be a warning to us, because we are a service protecting the citizen from the arrogance of power. God forbid that we reach the stage where the courts of justice become weapons of oppression.”

He asked legal professionals to be servants of justice and to serve the public by protecting them from the “arrogance of power and the instruments of injustice”.

“To be an advocate means to be close to the people, not to make money off them. You must give them the service they want but without compromising truth or justice,” he cautioned.

The official court year starts today. The Chief Justice is expected to deliver the traditional annual address inside the courthouse later this morning.