Malta - Floriana - Triq Sarria - The Mall 26 ies

Sir Adrian "Adriano" Dingli (8 October 1817 – 25 November 1900) was

Chief Justice of Malta The Chief Justice of Malta is the primus inter pares of the members of the Maltese judiciary and leads the business of the Superior Courts of Malta. Appointment The Chief Justice is appointed by the President of Malta by a two-thirds resoluti ...

Life

He was born in Valletta, the son of Sir Paolo Dingli, a lawyer who became President of the Court of Appeal.Maltese Commemorative Coins - The Central Bank of Malta
He studied at the Bishop's Seminary at

Mdina Mdina ( mt, L-Imdina ; phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤈, Maleṭ; grc, Μελίττη, Melite (ancient city), Melíttē; ar, مدينة, Madīnah; ), also known by its Italian-language titles ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdin ...

and read Law at Malta University, obtaining a doctorate in law in 1836 aged 19. He furthered his knowledge of languages and law in Rome, Bologna, Bonn, Heidelberg, Sorbonne and in London and then practised as an advocate. Following the granting to Malta of the Constitution of 1849 Sir Adrian was one of the eight Maltese members elected to the Council of Government to represent the people. He was elected to represent the people of

Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...

. In 1852 he established the Malta Militia. He was appointed Crown Advocate (1854) and in this capacity he effected the consolidation of the Civil Laws. He was also the Governor's consultant and the Government's administrator. He promoted the enlargement of the Grand Harbour and the building of the Market and the Royal Theatre in Valletta and the Lunatic Asylum in H’Attard. In 1862 he went to Turin to negotiate an extradition treaty with Italy. During his time as Crown Advocate he laid down juridical doctrine, particularly in the sphere of civil law, by drafting and promulgating in 1868 and 1873 Malta’s Civil Laws in codified form. In 1880 he was elevated to the highest judicial office in Malta by being appointed President of the Court of Appeal, with the title of Chief Justice which had been abolished forty years earlier. He represented both the local and the Imperial Government on missions abroad on several occasions, including Cyprus where the Cypriots requested that he be appointed Civil High Commissioner. He became the de facto Governor of Malta. In all these activities, and on the frequent occasions when his advice was sought by the Government, his patriotic spirit and deep sense of social welfare were evident. Dingli was married twice; firstly to Catherine Mamo-Mompalao (died 1857), and secondly to Amy Mildred Charlton. Sir Adrian Dingli died on 25 November 1900, aged 83. A monument bearing his bronze bust by Antonio Sciortino was erected in the Mall, Floriana, and unveiled by King Edward VII in 1907. Various streets, squares and schools around Malta carry Adrian Dingli's name, and in 2003 the

Central Bank of Malta The Central Bank of Malta ( mt, Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta) is the central bank of the Republic of Malta. It was established on 17 April 1968. In May 2004, when Malta joined the European Union, it became an integral part of the European Syste ...

issued a commemorative coin depicting a portrait of Sir Adrian, the third in its Distinguished Maltese Personalities Series.

Honours

He was awarded the following honours : * Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB, 1859) * Knight Commander of the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

(KCMG, 1860) * Knight Grand Cross of the

(GCMG, 1868)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dingli, Adrian 1817 births 1900 deaths Chief justices of Malta Companions of the Order of the Bath Heidelberg University alumni Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George 19th-century Maltese judges Maltese knights People from Valletta University of Bologna alumni University of Paris alumni Crown Colony of Malta judges Maltese expatriates in Italy Maltese expatriates in France