An Għaqda Studenti Tal-Liġi Policy Paper
since it is not precluded that certain issues set aside by the new Bill may again be brought into discussion in the future. The comparison will also bring out our satisfactions and dissatisfactions in the differences between the two and the new position adopted by the 2020 Bill. Of course, this paper is to be treated as taking a position on the current new Bill, and on any aspects of the old Bill that are brought back into the discussion. We have also appended our full proposals as regards the old Bill to that end. Regrettably, the new Bill went through its third reading by the House of Representatives only a few days before the intended launch date of this paper. It was presumably given the Moneyval fastpass, unlike its predecessor. This means its assent by the President and publication in the Government Gazette to give it legal force are imminent. Though this means we have been rendered unable to contribute to the discussion as we had intended when we set out to tackle the 2012 Bill, we hope that our proposals will not be shunned. Indeed they remain as valid as ever: they still express our opinion on the legislator’s position, except where amendments have been made of which we were not aware.
THE FRAMEWORK OF THE BILLS This first section will review the regulatory framework proposed by the Bills, and within which all lawyers are expected to work. We will compare and contrast the Bills, but will save critical comments for further sections.
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