The European Commission’s annual report on the rule of law highlights several noteworthy and significant developments that have occurred in Malta over the past year.
The Commission acknowledged that the perceived independence of Malta’s judiciary continues to remain high amongst the public. In addition, the Commission positively noted the Government’s progress to involve the Judiciary in the appointment of the Chief Justice, notably the forthcoming constitutional reform which will mandate consultations with the incumbent Chief Justice, prior to the appointment of the new Chief Justice.
The report commends the progress achieved by the Government in improving the efficiency of the Justice system, especially in reducing the length of proceedings. The noteworthy achievements include the revised procedural rules before the Courts of Appeal, the significant progress in establishing a fully-fledged Commercial Court, and the launch of the public consultation on the reform of the compilation of evidence.
The report further highlights noteworthy achievement adopted in 2023 to improve the capacity of investigative authorities and of the Office of the Attorney General further to the 2023 Rule of Law report recommendation to ‘step up measures to address challenges related to the length of investigations of high-level corruption cases’.
The Commission acknowledged progress on this front with the employment of additional prosecutors which has greatly contributed to improve the capacity of the investigative authorities and of the Attorney General’s Office
In addition, the Commission has recognised the Public Service Commission’s credible efforts to amplify integrity measures for public officials, with a notable 60% increase in disciplinary sanctions. The report confirms the Public Authorities’ adherence with the National Audit Office’s (NAO) recommendations.
Regarding media reform, the Commission welcomed Malta’s commitment to transpose the Anti-SLAPP Directive by end of July. The Commission attested the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations’ continuous engagement with key stakeholders to assess the status of the voluntary sector, including civil society, and its ultimate aim to establish a regulatory framework. The Rule of Law report also highlighted the fact that the total expenditure of justice has increased significantly in recent years.
The Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector, Jonathan Attard, emphasised the government’s unwavering dedication to reinforce the rule of law in Malta. He further affirmed the Government’s active commitment to achieve good governance and its ongoing efforts to maintain an open dialogue with stakeholders and the public, to ensure that the relevant reforms to strengthen the rule of law are addressed comprehensively and effectively.
