Justice minister criticises delays in appointing judges and magistrates

The justice minister has criticised delays in the appointment of judges, magistrates and a new standards commissioner for the judiciary post announced earlier this year.

Speaking to journalists Monday two days before the opening of the ‘forensic year’ - the judicial year - Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said he would have expected the vacant posts to have been finalised by then.

A public call was issued by the justice ministry at the start of last month for the appointment of two judges and two magistrates, while a new standards commissioner for the judiciary post was created as part of constitutional amendments in June.

Attard was addressing the media during a press briefing ahead of the opening of the court year, which is scheduled for Wednesday. During the briefing, he listed a number of reforms to the justice system made over the past year.

Responding to a question about Magistrate Gabriella Vella reportedly applying to become a judge, Attard declined to comment on the merits of the case but said the committee responsible for appointments should avoid controversial candidates.

He said the Justice Appointment Committee, which is responsible for shortlisting three candidates for each post, must ensure the process remains free of controversy by avoiding the appointment of individuals who are at the centre of one.

Vella had previously been criticised by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Prime Minister Robert Abela for the four-year duration it took her to complete the Vitals inquiry.

The magistrate was also criticised for the timing of the submission of the inquiry report and for not having directly questioned Muscat. Muscat was also critical of social media posts by the magistrate's relatives and had sought her recusal.

The new Commissioner for Standards in the Judiciary will investigate breaches of ethical standards by judges and magistrates.

Drug Court reforms

The justice minister noted that reforms were underway, covering both infrastructural and procedural changes. Following a consultation process, feedback was now being evaluated.

He also outlined a series of measures introduced to improve the law courts, many of which were based on recommendations from members of the judiciary.

These changes include reforms to the Drug Court, as well as infrastructural investment that led, among other things, to the opening of another courtroom for jury trials. As a result, a record nine trials were held this year – exceeding the annual average.

Attard also discussed reforms to magisterial inquiries and the compilation of evidence process. Various laws had been updated, including legislation on electronic bail and the introduction of new offences such as cyberbullying and stalking.

Security upgrades

Court Services Agency CEO Vanessa Grech, also speaking at the briefing, said security had been enhanced, pointing to the introduction of ‘panic buttons’ in courtrooms connected to lights on court room doors and additional CCTV cameras, including in courtrooms.

She said staffing had reached its highest levels on record, with the agency comprising some 588 employees, a 55% increase since 2012. There are now 44 court attorneys assisting magistrates and judges, and over 53 judicial assistants, said Grech.

Grech spoke about the investment in a range of support services at the law courts since 2024. Since then, the courts have received over 2,300 calls to the helpline and more than 1,000 emails, which were handled within 24 hours. The help desk at the law courts also assisted around 700 people.

She went on to highlight figures reflecting the high volume of work processed by the various court registries. The civil registry saw over 68,000 acts filed – averaging more than 250 per day. The criminal registry handled 25,000 acts, while the family court registry dealt with some 15,700 acts this year.

In 2024, the Family Court initiated more than 1,800 mediation cases, 1,700 of which were successfully resolved.