Lawyers who graduated months ago finally got their warrants to practice, as the justice minister promised action to prevent this "unacceptable" delay from repeating itself.

Jonathan Attard presented warrants to 104 lawyers and two legal procurators in a ceremony attended by Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, among others.

In May, a group of lawyers resorted to court to complain they had not yet been granted their warrant to practice because of an impasse surrounding the implementation of a new fit-and-proper test which all new lawyers are expected to sit to be deemed of good conduct and high moral standing.

On Tuesday, the minister said the delay was unacceptable and unnecessary and his ministry would be moving legal amendments establishing a timeframe for the test process by the Committee of Lawyers and Legal Procurators and clarifying procedure. The amendments would include a mechanism to unblock any impasse should there be disagreement on how the process should run.   

Also present for the ceremony were Peter Fenech and Gerald Bonello representing the Chamber of Advocates and the Chamber of Legal Procurators, as well as Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg.