The controversial reform that limits people's rights to request a magisterial inquiry has been enacted as law, after it was published in the Government Gazette on Friday.
The magisterial inquiry reform was approved in parliament earlier this month with 37 votes in favour and 30 against. The Opposition voted against.
When a law passes through parliament, it does not automatically become law - it must first be signed by the President and then published in the Government Gazette.
Under the new law, citizens will no longer be able to directly request a magistrate to open an inquiry but will first have to approach the police. If the police do not take action, citizens can then take their case to a judge, who will decide if an investigation is merited.
On Wednesday, rule of law NGO Repubblika said it will file a constitutional challenge to the new law on the EU’s “non-regression principle”, which stops member states from taking regressive steps in the rule of law.
How did we get here?
It started in December 2024 when Prime Minister Robert Abela said he had ordered Justice Minister Jonathan Attard to begin drafting a reform to the magisterial inquiry system that would stop people from "abusing the system".
Abela announced this after lawyer and former PN MP Jason Azzopardi asked a magistrate to investigate Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri about an alleged criminal "racket" involving mooring spots in Mġarr.
The initial announcement drew sharp criticism from the Opposition and rule of law NGOs, which persisted up until the reform was enacted.
Azzopardi then also asked the magistrate to investigate Camilleri about an Olympic-sized swimming pool that went €8 million over budget and a road in Nadur that went €10.5 million over budget.
All his magisterial inquiry requests were rejected by a magistrate.
Azzopardi is currently appealing all three cases in court, however, there is the risk that all these cases will be scrapped as the new law states that any pending requests to open a magisterial inquiry made before the law is enacted will be dropped.
The outspoken lawyer said he will be filing a constitutional case claiming that his fundamental rights have been breached.
The system where citizens could request a magisterial inquiry led to the conclusions of the 17 Black inquiry and the hospitals' scandal inquiry.
The 17 Black inquiry saw former chief of staff Keith Schembri, former minister Konrad Mizzi, businessman Yorgen Fenech, among others, face a raft of serious criminal charges linked to the Electrogas power station project. They all pleaded not guilty.
The same system also led to the former prime minister Joseph Muscat, Schembri and Mizzi, and 20 other individuals and companies being charged with serious crimes over the hospitals' scandal. They all pleaded not guilty.