Lawyer Joseph Zammit McKeon was sworn in as a judge yesterday after he was nominated by Cabinet earlier on this month.
The 52-year-old father of three was sworn in by President Eddie Fenech Adami.
Dr Zammit McKeon served as Malta Transport Authority chairman for a year, before resigning for health reasons. The new judge was president of the Occupational Health and Safety Commission between 1994 and 2001 and participated in several local and international conferences on the subject.
Dr Zammit McKeon is a lecturer in the occupational health and safety at the University of Malta's Faculty of Law and Labour Studies Centre.
He is married to Mary Anne and has three children - Alessia, a lawyer, Andrew and Angele'. Speaking to The Times following his nomination, he described the appointment as the next step in his long legal career.
"I am prepared to serve my country in the best way possible and my mission statement is to mirror the way I dealt with my own clients throughout my career as a lawyer," he said.