Deborah Schembri
{{Short description|Maltese politician and attorney (born 1976/77)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
Deborah Schembri (born 1976 or 1977) is a Maltese politician and attorney who was a member of the Parliament of Malta from 2013 to 2017. She is known for leading the pro-divorce movement during the 2011 Maltese divorce referendum.
2011 pro-divorce campaign
{{Main|2011 Maltese divorce referendum}}
Malta held a referendum in May 2011 to decide the legality of divorce. Schembri, a 35-year-old family lawyer and single mother, chaired the pro-divorce campaign.{{cite news |last1=Grech |first1=Herman |title=Irreconcilable differences as Malta decides on divorce |work=McClatchy-Tribune Business News |date=26 May 2011 }}{{cite news |last1=Simons |first1=Jake Wallis |title=Malta: moment of decision on divorce |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/may/28/malta-divorce-referendum |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=27 May 2011}} Because of her advocacy, the Catholic Church in Malta barred her from practicing law in ecclesiastical court, resulting in a 40 percent loss in her income. Schembri participated in several televised debates with Anna Vella, the chair of the anti-divorce campaign. She declared victory on 29 May after initial results showed a majority of voters supporting legalizing divorce, and urged the ruling Nationalist Party to immediately pass the corresponding legislation.{{cite news |title=Malta says yes to divorce with the support of 52% of citizens |work=EFE News Service |date=29 May 2011 }}{{cite news |last1=Contenta |first1=Sandro |title=Malta votes 'yes' to divorce in referendum |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2011/05/29/malta_votes_yes_to_divorce_in_referendum.html |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Toronto Star |date=29 May 2011}} The bill was passed by the legislature and signed into law in July that year.{{cite news |title=President signs divorce bill – set to become law today |url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/president-signs-divorce-bill-set-to-become-law-today.377893 |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Times of Malta |date=29 July 2011}}
Member of Parliament
Schembri was elected to the Parliament of Malta in March 2013 as a member of the Labour Party, and also became a member of the Maltese delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.{{cite web |title=Deborah Schembri |url=http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/AssemblyList/MP-Details-EN.asp?MemberID=7089 |website=Parliamentary Assembly |publisher=Council of Europe |access-date=9 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214132239/http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/AssemblyList/MP-Details-EN.asp?MemberID=7089 |archive-date=14 February 2020}} She authored a PACE report detailing discrimination against transgender people in Europe after meeting with officials and transgender rights advocates in several countries, including England, Scotland, Spain, and Turkey.{{cite news |title=Moving 'Trans-Rights' Forward in National Parliaments |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A370309526/EAIM |access-date=9 April 2021 |work=State News Service |date=5 June 2014}}{{cite news |title=Rapporteur on combating discrimination against transgender people to make fact-finding visit to the United Kingdom |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A392807201/AONE |access-date=9 April 2021 |work=State News Service |date=8 December 2014}} In the assembly, Schembri was an advocate for accessible and affordable gender reassignment procedures, including hormone treatment and surgery.{{cite news |title=Procedures 'based on self-determination' for changing gender ID on documents |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A410709722/ITOF |access-date=8 April 2021 |work=State News Service |date=22 April 2015}}
In November 2013, she announced her candidacy for the 2014 European Parliament election in Malta.{{cite news |title=Deborah Schembri to contest MEP elections |url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/deborah-schembri-to-contest-mep-elections.493764 |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Times of Malta |date=7 November 2013}} She was endorsed by prime minister Joseph Muscat, who had asked her to run. Schembri ran on a platform focused primarily on job creation and civil rights.{{cite news |last1=Dalli |first1=Miriam |title='Deborah Schembri perfectly fits the bill for MEP', says Joseph Muscat |url=https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/europe/39050/deborah_schembri_perfectly_fits_the_bill_for_mep_says_joseph_muscat |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Malta Today |date=15 May 2014}} She was not successful in the November 2014 election, receiving 5,983 votes and finishing eighth among the Labour candidates.{{cite book |last1=Pukelsheim |first1=Friedrich |title=Proportional Representation: Apportionment Methods and Their Applications |year=2017 |publisher=Springer |isbn=9783319647074 |page=26 |edition=2nd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=37xEDwAAQBAJ |access-date=3 April 2021}}
Schembri was appointed as parliamentary secretary for planning and simplification in January 2016 after Michael Falzon resigned.{{cite news |title='We do not cast doubts on the Auditor General's reports, and we must learn from them' – Deborah Schembri |url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/deborah-schembri-sworn-in-as-parliamentary-secretary.599615 |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Times of Malta |date=21 January 2016}} She oversaw a series of major reforms of Malta's Lands Department after the corruption scandal that led to Falzon's resignation, including appointing an audit officer to supervise public land transactions over €100,000.{{cite news |title=New authority will add layer of scrutiny to government land deals |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1803641241 |access-date=9 April 2021 |work=Malta Today |date=12 July 2016|id={{ProQuest|1803641241}}}}{{cite news |title=From scandal to reform at the Lands Authority |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1807172545|id={{ProQuest|1807172545}}|access-date=9 April 2021 |work=Malta Today |date=27 July 2016}} She also introduced an amnesty bill for buildings with planning illegalities and increased fines on fish farm operators whose feeding practices resulted in pollution of the Maltese coast.{{cite news |title=Amnesty once meant for pre-2013 illegalities, will include recent offences |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1814111734 |access-date=9 April 2021 |work=Malta Today |date=25 August 2016}}{{cite news |title=Action against polluting fish farms: Cabinet supports emergency enforcement orders |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1815513108|id={{ProQuest|1815513108}} |access-date=9 April 2021 |work=Malta Today |date=30 August 2016}} Schembri lost a close race for re-election in 2017, and was succeeded by Clayton Bartolo.{{cite news |last1=Schembri |first1=Gabriel |title=Zammit Lewis, Manwel Mallia retain seat as Deborah Schembri is ousted; Bedingfield elected |url=https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-06-20/local-news/Live-Casual-elections-34-nominations-for-seven-Labour-seats-in-Parliament-6736175680 |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=The Malta Independent |date=20 June 2017}}
Other activities
After leaving office, Schembri became a legal consultant for the Maltese Planning Authority and Lands Authority. She is also the chair of the board of appeals for the government fostering agency.{{cite news |title=Deborah Schembri made chair of foster care appeals board |url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/deborah-schembri-made-chair-of-foster-care-appeals-board.707748 |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Times of Malta |date=20 April 2019}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schembri, Deborah}}
Category:21st-century Maltese politicians
Category:21st-century Maltese women politicians
Category:Labour Party (Malta) politicians
Category:21st-century Maltese lawyers
Category:Maltese women activists
Category:Members of the House of Representatives of Malta
Category:Women members of the House of Representatives of Malta