Both sides of the House have agreed to double the maximum period of pre-trial arrest for serious crimes.

Police can currently hold a person under arrest for 48 hours before charging them with a crime. Over the past months, parliament debated extending that period for crimes that are subject to a jail sentence exceeding 12 years.

The government initially suggested an additional 84 hours, subject to a magistrate’s approval.

But PN MPs Carm Mifsud Bonnici and Mario de Marco had expressed concern at tripling the maximum period of pre-trial arrest.

They had claimed hardened criminals and delinquents would not be affected by these changes and would just remain silent. The legislative amendment would impact innocent people who ended up arrested by the police, they had said.

The proposed amendment stemmed from concerns among investigators that the existing 48-hour limit was insufficient when probing major crimes or criminal suspects.

In such cases, interrogations or results of forensic tests can take longer than the maximum 48-hour period.

On Wednesday, the Justice Ministry said in a statement that the proposal to extend the pre-trial arrest period by another 48 hours had made it through the committee stage.

It is now set to go through the Third Reading.

Minister Jonathan Attard reassured that the legislative amendment will not change the accused's rights.

Attard welcomed news that the proposed changes had been approved by both sides of the House, as the bill will need two-thirds of MPs' votes to become law.