President urges parliamentary agreement on Chief Justice, steps back from talks

Updated 9.40pm with President's statement

President Myriam Spiteri Debono has urged the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to reach agreement in parliament on the appointment of the next Chief Justice, making it clear she will not be involved in the discussions.

Robert Abela and Alex Borg agreed to continue talks about the appointment of the next Chief Justice following separate meetings with the President of Malta at San Anton on Thursday evening.

In a statement issued just after her two separate meetings with Abela and Borg, the president put the ball firmly in their court to find a solution to the impasse, pointing out that the prime minister and the leader of the opposition "have the necessary wisdom to reach an agreement in the interests of the Courts, the administration of justice, the rule of law, the state and above all our people".

The president stressed that "this is a matter that depends on a vote in the House of Representatives".

Speaking to journalists after his meeting with Myriam Spiteri Debono, Robert Abela reported that the president told him the appointment of the new Chief Justice should only be discussed by members of parliament and she will not get involved in the discussions. He was accompanied by the Justice Minister Jonathan Attard.

Abela said that the president made it clear that the appointment of the new chief justice should be decided by members of parliament and discussions should continue without her involvement.

After Abela's departure, the Opposition Leader was seen arriving at the President's official residence just after 7.15pm on Thursday evening.

PN Leader Alex Borg arrives at San Anton Palace for talks with the President. Photo: Jonathan Borg

The prime minister said he will be inviting Alex Borg to continue discussions "from tomorrow" to reach an agreement on the new chief justice.

He added he hoped that the candidate would eventually be approved with a unanimous vote, as had happened with the previous appointment.

Earlier today, Opposition leader Alex Borg had asked President Myriam Spiteri Debono to act as a guarantor of the appointment process and to preside over all meetings between himself and the prime minister.

Speaking to journalists after his meeting with the president on Thursday evening, Borg said Spiteri Debono had "insisted that on this matter there must be agreement - it cannot be imposed by only one side". 

He confirmed he has accepted Abela's invitation for a meeting on Friday morning to continue talks about the matter.

Asked whether the President had accepted Borg’s request for her to preside over meetings between himself and the prime minister, the PN leader said: “If she were not to be involved, she would not have called me and the prime minister here today.”

Abela has called for the introduction of an anti-deadlock mechanism to break the parliamentary impasse over the appointment after efforts to appoint Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera as the new chief justice collapsed over the failure to secure a two-thirds majority in parliament.

The incumbent, chief justice Mark Chetcuti, will remain in the role until a replacement is agreed upon even though he reached retirement age on Wednesday.

The government went public with its decision to back Judge Scerri Herrera for the role last week. 

The PN leader is understood to have proposed four other names for the role.