Updated 1.40pm 

Four magistrates will be appointed to the bench in the coming days after President George Vella received a shortlist of recommended candidates. 

It is understood that among those expected to be appointed is one of the lead prosecutors within the office of the attorney general, along with another well-respected lawyer there. 

Vella received a list of candidates earlier this month from the Judicial Appointments Committee, that was set up as part of a reform on the way judicial appointments are made. 

According to the new system, it is the president and not the prime minister who makes the final decision on judicial appointments.

No 'final recommendations' yet - committee

In a reply sent to Times of Malta on Monday afternoon, the committee said it had not sent its "final recommendations" to the president's office. 

"As to date the Committee has not communicated or delivered its final recommendations regarding the appointments of Magistrates to the Bench in terms of article 96 A of the Constitution to the Office of the President of Malta," a committee spokesperson said. 

The judicial appointment reform was introduced after recommendations by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe which had talks with Malta over the justice system and rule of law. 

The Commission had called for more checks and balances to safeguard Malta’s independent institutions.

In May 2020, the government had pushed through legal amendments, including a change to the way judges and magistrates are appointed and removed from the bench.  

The appointment of the new magistrates comes hot on the heels of four judges who were handed their wigs last month. The cost of the eight new members of the judiciary is expected to be around €2 million a year.

Magistrates Neville Camilleri and Audrey Demicoli and lawyers Christian Falzon Scerri and Ian Spiteri Bailey were appointed judges in April.  Soon after their appointment, the government faced calls for the number of magistrates to be increased.

The Association of Judges and Magistrates said it was disappointed that the government had issued a call for only four new magistrates when the number of magistrates would actually only be increasing by one since two magistrates have been appointed judges and another has retired.

The association insisted that the number of new magistrates should be no fewer than six.