Lifetime cab-licence ban breached driver’s rights

Judge Rachel Montebello ruled that regulations permanently barring Carmel Schembri from holding a cab licence breached his right to private life under the European Convention on Human Rights. Transport Malta had refused renewal because of a 2018 prostitution-related conviction, even though Schembri had received a suspended sentence. The court said protecting passengers was a legitimate aim, but an automatic lifetime ban was disproportionate without examining rehabilitation and later conduct. It ordered legislative changes for case-by-case assessments and awarded €2,000 in moral damages, while rejecting his claim for lost earnings.