[2][3] 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.
[3] 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.
[8][9] In the assembly, Schembri was an advocate for accessible and affordable gender reassignment procedures, including hormone treatment and surgery.
[13] Schembri was appointed as parliamentary secretary for planning and simplification in January 2016 after Michael Falzon resigned.
[14][15] 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.