The Justice Ministry is closely following proceedings related to Commissioner for Justice Alessandro Lia, the prime minister said on Tuesday, after a magistrate on Monday ordered police action against him over suspected complicity in the fraudulent transfer of a car that was meant to be scrapped.

Asked if Lia had been asked to resign, Abela said Justice Minister Jonathan Attard was considering the outcome of the challenge proceedings involving Lia instituted by his former father-in-law.

Abela said that Lia should be held to a higher standard because of his role.

“When you occupy a judicial role, it is different to holding any other role. The criteria that apply need to be more rigorous,” Abela said.

As Commissioner for Justice Lia, a lawyer, presides regional tribunal hearings involving minor offences, such as drug possession, traffic violations, and school truancy.

Lia, Abela said, continued to be presumed innocent, but the question remained as to whether someone involved in the administration of justice could himself be facing proceedings. 

“That is the question that the Justice Minister will soon address,” Abela said.

That decision, he added, would not unilaterally be that of the Justice Minister but also of the Commission for the Administration of Justice, which will have the final say.