More than 2,000 domestic violence cases are pending before the two magistrates assigned to handle them, according to figures compiled by the law courts.
The figures as at the end of June show that while one magistrate, Lara Lanfranco, has 1,342 pending cases, the new magistrate assigned to handle domestic violence cases, Abigail Critien, has 617 cases pending before her.
The interminable list of pending domestic violence cases seems to support reports that traumatised abuse survivors are waiting up to a year for their cases to reach court, leaving some feeling vulnerable to further violence.
The Court Services Agency only started collecting data on domestic violence cases in July 2021, when Magistrate Lanfranco was assigned to them. Before that, domestic violence cases were treated as district cases and assigned to a number of magistrates.
The statistics for last June provided by the agency show that Magistrate Lanfranco had 222 cases added to her list that month, as well as seven compilations of evidence.
Magistrate Critien received 12 new cases involving crimes committed by minors. The magistrate did not receive any domestic violence cases that month but was assigned three magisterial inquiries because she happened to be on duty when the cases occurred.
She also received 39 cases related to breaches over alimony, access and custody of children.
In other statistics from the end of June, there were 104 pending cases related to money laundering crimes, being heard by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, and 273 pending cases over breaches to income tax rules and regulations.
There were also 14 pending challenges, which are cases instituted by private individuals challenging the police over their decision not to take a case forward.
June saw a total of 817 new cases in the criminal courts, including 13 summary proceedings, 58 compilations of evidence, 40 new magisterial inquiries and 59 cases related to criminal charges filed over infringement of value added tax laws.
In June there were 15 new criminal cases instituted by the police Administrative Law Enforcement Unit and 158 related to traffic accidents and collisions.
The caseload of district sittings increased by 172 in June. These sittings are assigned to seven magistrates. There were also 19 new cases related to breaches of occupational health and safety laws.
The statistics show that Magistrate Victor Axiaq has the largest number of pending cases, totalling 1,921, followed by Magistrate Astrid-May Grima, who has 1,868 pending cases on her plate, and Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace, who has a pending caseload of 1,685. Magistrate Monica Vella is next with 1,235 pending cases.
All other magistrates have varying amounts under 1,000 pending cases, with the magistrate having the least number of pending cases being newly installed Magistrate Joseph Gatt.
The Appeals Court, presided over by Judges Aaron Bugeja, Edwina Grima, Consuelo Scerri Herrera and Neville Camilleri, has 575 pending cases between the four judges, including 22 in Gozo. They decided a total of 85 cases in June and another 50 new appeals were added to their list.
The Superior Criminal Court, presided over by the same four judges, has 123 pending cases.
The total number of pending criminal cases before all judges and magistrates stood at 15,245 at the end of June.
When it comes to concluded cases, the statistics show that the Court of Magistrates decided nearly 700 cases in June, including 109 cases related to domestic violence, all decided by Magistrate Lanfranco.
Magistrates decided 201 district cases, 59 cases related to traffic contraventions and collisions and 81 cases related to VAT offences, decided by Magistrate Micallef Stafrace, while Magistrate Elaine Rizzo decided 46 cases involving the police’s Administrative Law Enforcement Unit.
In the civil court, the situation is bleak although the numbers are smaller. The judges presiding over civil cases have nearly 6,000 pending cases, including 645 in the Gozo Courts.
The judge with the heaviest caseload is Madam Justice Miriam Hayman, who has 702 pending cases, followed by Madam Justice Joanne Vella Cuschieri and Madam Justice Anna Felice with 567 and 565 pending cases respectively.
Mr Justice Francesco Depasquale has 552 pending cases, while Mr Justice Robert Mangion and Mr Justice Toni Abela have 554 and 507 respectively.
Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, who distributes the work among his team of magistrates and judges, has two pending cases, although he has a list of 61 pending appeals along with Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff, who has 297.
Rather worryingly, there is a list of 569 pending appeals in the civil appeals court which have not yet been appointed.
There are 971 pending appeals and 224 pending cases before the Constitutional Court.
The Commercial Court section has almost 300 pending cases, most of them on the plate of Mr Justice Ian Spiteri Bailey.
In the Family Court, seven judges between them have 1,110 pending cases, with 83 decided in June and another 63 introduced. The judge with the heaviest caseload is Madam Justice Abigail Lofaro, who has 435 pending cases, followed by Madam Justice Jacqueline Padovani Grima with 401 and Mr Justice Antonio Vella with 270 pending cases.
Malta’s judiciary is currently made up of 25 judges and 25 magistrates, and chief justices have repeatedly called for those numbers to grow in line with burgeoning caseloads.
The last such appeal was made by Chief Justice Chetcuti last October during the opening of the forensic year.
Editorial note: This article simply presents the caseload statistics as compiled by the Court Services Agency and does not reflect the clearance rates of individual members of the judiciary.