Justice Minister Jonathan Attard tabled a 90-page document in parliament including 546 comments that former chief justice Silvio Camilleri made against the government on Times of Malta on Tuesday.

Last week, Camilleri - who served as Chief Justice from 2010 to 2017 – wrote on Times of Malta’s comments board blasting the magisterial inquiry reform, warning it will “only serve to shield politicians and their persons of trust from investigation”.

Camilleri said that the government had “captured” the police and the Attorney General's office and “now seeks to tie up all remaining loose ends”.

The new bill proposes changing the way citizens can request a magisterial inquiry, first directing them to approach the police, before filing a request with a judge six months later.

He filed the document in response to a parliamentary question asked by PL MP Katya De Giovanni.

During parliamentary question time, Attard slammed the comments former Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri - who served as Chief Justice from 2010 to 2017 – made about the magisterial inquiry reform.

He criticised Camilleri for making “political fanatic” comments, arguing that such remarks are inappropriate for a former Chief Justice and Attorney General to make.

PN MP Karol Aquilina asked him to mention one magisterial inquiry that should not have happened. “I am not the prosecution, and I am not the courts,” Attard said, and he told Aquilina to address that question to the courts.

PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami asked Attard whether his attack on Camilleri was just a continuation of the government’s attack on the judicial system as it is scared of the court doing its work.

Attard replied by pointing fingers at the PN for frequently attacking the police.