Arturo Mercieca
Encyclopedia
Sir Arturo Mercieca, Kt Bach
, LL.D., (1878–1969) was a Chief Justice of Malta
.
on the island of Gozo
on 11 July 1878. He was given primary and secondary education at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Victoria. In October 1894 he enrolled at the University of Malta
and graduated as a lawyer in August 1901. He pursued further studies via scholarships in London
and Rome
(1902–1903), and started to practise his profession in 1903.
In 1921, he founded the Comitato Permanente Universitario, later known as Kunsill Studenti Universitarji
(University Students’ Council), the Maltese national student union and the oldest organization of its kind in Europe. At the turn of the century he was closely involved with various organizations with a pro-Italian stance such as Giovine Malta, Malta Letteraria, and Associazione Politica Maltese.
espionage activities in Malta gave rise to significant British counter-espionage activity, including the 1936 expulsion of the Italian Consul General. In 1935, Major Bertram Ede, one of Vernon Kell's MI5
operatives "reported adversely on the pro-Italian sympathies of the Chief Justice, Sir Arturo Mercieca, but although these led to Mercieca's arrest and detention in Uganda
during the Second World War, no action was taken against him in 1935". In 1937, Sir Charles Bonham-Carter
, Governor of Malta, "wished to remove [Mercieca], who made no secret of his pro-Italian sympathies, but Ormsby-Gore, the Colonial Secretary declined to accept this recommendation". On 11 June 1940, the day after Italy declared war on Britain and France, aircraft of the Italian Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) attacked Malta. Mercieca was compelled to resign the Chief Justiceship to avoid removal and was among those for whom the Governor issued detention orders under the terms of the Malta Defence Regulations. He was interned and then in 1942 deported to Uganda, together with his wife and daughter and about 60 other Maltese nationals. Their exile in Uganda lasted until early 1945.
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
, LL.D., (1878–1969) was a Chief Justice of Malta
Chief Justice of Malta
The Chief Justice of Malta is the primus inter pares of the judicial branch of the Republic of Malta. The Chief Justice leads the business of the Supreme Court and is appointed by the President of Malta acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister of Malta...
.
Early life
Mercieca was born in VictoriaVictoria, Malta
Victoria or Città Victoria is the capital of Gozo, an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The town has a total population of 6,414 , and by population is the largest locality in Gozo....
on the island of Gozo
Gozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
on 11 July 1878. He was given primary and secondary education at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Victoria. In October 1894 he enrolled at the University of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
and graduated as a lawyer in August 1901. He pursued further studies via scholarships in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
(1902–1903), and started to practise his profession in 1903.
In 1921, he founded the Comitato Permanente Universitario, later known as Kunsill Studenti Universitarji
Kunsill Studenti Universitarji
The Kunsill ta’ l-Istudenti Universitarji is the Maltese national student union, the oldest organization of its kind in Europe. KSU was founded by Arturo Mercieca in 1901, as the Comitato Permanente Universitario...
(University Students’ Council), the Maltese national student union and the oldest organization of its kind in Europe. At the turn of the century he was closely involved with various organizations with a pro-Italian stance such as Giovine Malta, Malta Letteraria, and Associazione Politica Maltese.
Pro-Italian views and internment
Rising concern in the mid 1930s about possible ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
espionage activities in Malta gave rise to significant British counter-espionage activity, including the 1936 expulsion of the Italian Consul General. In 1935, Major Bertram Ede, one of Vernon Kell's MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
operatives "reported adversely on the pro-Italian sympathies of the Chief Justice, Sir Arturo Mercieca, but although these led to Mercieca's arrest and detention in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
during the Second World War, no action was taken against him in 1935". In 1937, Sir Charles Bonham-Carter
Charles Bonham-Carter
|-...
, Governor of Malta, "wished to remove [Mercieca], who made no secret of his pro-Italian sympathies, but Ormsby-Gore, the Colonial Secretary declined to accept this recommendation". On 11 June 1940, the day after Italy declared war on Britain and France, aircraft of the Italian Royal Air Force (Regia Aeronautica) attacked Malta. Mercieca was compelled to resign the Chief Justiceship to avoid removal and was among those for whom the Governor issued detention orders under the terms of the Malta Defence Regulations. He was interned and then in 1942 deported to Uganda, together with his wife and daughter and about 60 other Maltese nationals. Their exile in Uganda lasted until early 1945.
Author
He published his autobiography, Le Mie Vicende in 1946, translated into English as 'The Unmaking of A Maltese Chief Justice'. He also published studies in local historical reviews such as Archivum Melitense, Malta Letteraria and Melita Historica, and in Italy in Archivio Storico di Malta.Family
He married Josephine Tabone in 1909 and they had eight children, Mari, Albert, Tancred, Victor, Lilian, Arturo, Anton and Adrian. He died in 1969, aged 91.See also
- Maltese Italians