Tag: judiciary
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Italians reject Premier Meloni’s Constitutional reforms
Italians have rejected by a wide margin a constitutional reform proposed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a national referendum, delivering a significant political setback to her government. The constitutional reform would have seen the government taking more control over the judiciary by introducing changes to the structure and appointment mechanisms of judicial bodies.…
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Deborah Schembri responds to criticism over the Labour dictatorship: “We have the majority”
Deborah Schembri has responded to criticism that the Labour government intends to install a dictatorship by once again repeating the argument that, because the government was elected by a majority, it has the legitimate and democratic right to appoint any Chief Justice it chooses. She made her point in an article published in the media…
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Shocking confessions by the Prime Minister
Yesterday, in a doorstep press conference, Prime Minister Robert Abela said that he had met with members of the judiciary to discuss the nomination for Chief Justice. He made this statement nonchalantly, adding that it was necessary for him to meet members of the judiciary to inquire about their interest in, and suitability for, the…
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The right reaction to Labour’s proposed Chief Justice nominees: suspicion and negation
The Labour government is now pitching its counter-proposal after it failed to nominate Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera as chief Justice: Judge Miriam Hayman. The mainstream press is now running the story that the Nationalist Party is proposing Judge Lawrence Mintoff. Clearly it should be ascertained that the Labour government’s proposal is not a compromise proposal,…
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New Judge and Magistrates sworn-in
A Judge and three new Magistrates have been sworn in after having been appointed by the Judicial Appointments Committee. The new Judge is Charmaine Galea and the new Magistrates are Patrick Valentino, Claudio Zammit and Franco Giordamaina. They have been appointed following a call of applications. The Judicial Appointments Committee is composed of members of…
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The Labour government pushes Constitutional amendments in Parliament without a two-thirds majority
Yesterday in Parliament, the Opposition and Nationalist Party accused the Labour government of manipulating parliamentary procedure to rush constitutional amendments without the required two-thirds approval from parliament. The amendments concern the introduction of a Commissioner for Justice that will oversee the conduct of the Judiciary. You can listen to yesterday’s parliamentary session here. The idea…
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The Labour Government tables Constitutional Amendments in Parliament
The Labour Government has tabled Constitutional Amendments in Parliament proposing new judicial reforms. The reforms include, removing the restriction from the Chief Justice to be nominated President, to allow members of the Judiciary to serve until 70 years of age, and the introduction of a new Commission for the Administration of Justice. The legal amendments…
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Ex-Judges disagree with Judge Neville Camilleri’s decision to deny a Magisterial Inquiry on Silvio Schembri
At least three retired Judges disagree with the decision by Judge Neville Camilleri to deny a request by Jason Azzopardi to start a Magisterial Inquiry on Minister Silvio Schembri. At least two members of the Judiciary have also expressed their critical comments in discussions with other members of the Judiciary and retired members of the…
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A Stasi-like attack against the Ex-Chief Justice
Earlier this week in Parliament, the Justice Minister presented a document containing a long list of critical quotes against the Labour government by former Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri. The surprising, Stasi-like attack appeared to be a response to the Chief Justice’s criticism of the government’s proposed reform on Magisterial Inquiries. According to the ex-Chief Justice,…
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It’s not the Judiciary’s fault: it’s the Police Commissioner’s
The Labour government condemned the Vitals Inquiry for its massive expensive billed by the UK company Harbinson Forensics. In Court, defence lawyers are tearing the inquiry apart. The so called “forensic expert” of the UK company doesn’t even want to come to Malta to testify in Court over his own work despite being paid lavish…
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A Resignation by the Judiciary
Following the publication of this story, I verified from further sources that the Judiciary is facing the incoming reforms about Magisterial Inquiries with a sense of resignation, and also a sad sense of relief that their weight in the future of the country has been reduced. This is because the Judiciary has received nothing but…
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A State source on the ethical standards of the judiciary: “What is unethical has become normalised in this country”
Yesterday I’ve reached out to a non-governmental state source in the justice system. The source is high-ranking and and is involved in the justice system. I’ve taken comments from this source to discuss with them my story about Arthur Azzopardi’s relationship with a sitting Magistrate. For obvious reasons, the source can not be identified and…
