Magistrate Monica Vella was given a dressing down by an appeals court judge earlier this month for her “irresponsible behaviour” after a court official testified she had failed to pass on her case files.

“The court deplores the irresponsible behaviour of the mentioned magistrate, who failed to explain why this documentation was not handed over to this court,” Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff said in two court notifications.

In two almost identical notifications sent to the justice minister, the civil court registrar and to the chief justice, Mr Justice Mintoff stated that Vella’s failure to hand over the documentation had caused the appeals court to put off its sittings three times.

Monica Vella. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

“These appeal proceedings are unnecessarily being prolonged, causing great inconvenience to the parties involved,” Mintoff wrote.

He also reprimanded Vella for keeping official documentation in her private residence.

Mr Justice Mintoff is presiding over two court appeals involving cases brought before the rent regulations board, a civil court that adjudicates rental disputes.

The two cases were initially overseen by Magistrate Vella.

The judge issued his communiqué based on testimony from deputy registrar Victor Deguara.

Deguara explained that Magistrate Vella did not hand in her official judgment to the court registrar despite being asked to do so.

'More discipline needed within the judiciary'

He testified that Vella said she was looking for the document and that it was not in her office, adding that the magistrate was looking for the document at her house.

In 2021, Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti had reassigned all of Magistrate Vella’s criminal and civil cases in the Gozo court and transferred her to Valletta.

Sources said this was due to a slow work rate.

The magistrate also landed in legal trouble some years ago after she was charged with failing to file VAT returns dating back years. Those charges were dropped when she filed the necessary documents.

Times of Malta reported last July that a 69-year-old woman’s stolen car had been found but was stuck in the police’s lock-up for over four years.

Ludgarda Zammit filed a court application asking Magistrate Vella to release the car a few days after it was found but, over four years later, the vehicle has still not been released.

The chief justice, in his speech at the opening of the forensic year, said that more discipline was needed within the judiciary.

Although most members of the judiciary put in an effort, not all reached the expected level of efficiency, he said, adding that a mere “handful” were constantly mentioned for not fulfilling their judicial duties satisfactorily.

Complaints include the way court hearings were handled, delays in delivering simple decrees or late delivery of judgments for no valid reason, or a lack of respect towards lawyers and the public.

All the good work done by the judiciary was undermined by these few, tarnishing the reputation of all those working in the justice sector, he said.

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said last month he would shortly be presenting a bill to the cabinet to strengthen disciplinary procedures for the judiciary.

The reform is aimed at introducing greater accountability among the judiciary, he told MaltaToday.