Former Chief Justice Joseph Azzopardi needs to reflect on whether his nomination as Standards Commissioner without political consensus would weaken public respect and confidence in the office, rule of law group Repubblika said on Tuesday.

Parliament nominated Azzopardi for the post on Monday after a vote supported only by government MPs. It came after the government changed the law to remove the need for a two-thirds majority. 

Repubblika said in a statement that what happened on Monday was a serious attack on democracy. The prime minister had changed the rules so that he was the one who chose the person who would judge his behaviour and that of his colleagues, the opposition and persons in positions of trust. 

Everyone had to shoulder his responsibilities including judge Azzopardi, who needed to consider whether his decision to accept the nomination despite it not being backed by both sides of the House, would weaken public respect and confidence in the office.

History showed that democracy did not suffer a sudden death, but a death by a thousand cuts. The hijacking of the institutions and the undermining of public confidence in them happened in various ways. 

Repubblika, meanwhile, congratulated judge Joe Zammit Mckeon who was unanimously appointed Ombudsman on Monday.