Judge Joseph Azzopardi has just been sworn in as the new Chief Justice, following the retirement of former Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri from the bench.

He is the 21st Chief Justice to be appointed.

Azzopardi was born on 8 April 1955, and received his warrant as a lawyer on 11 January 1980.

He practiced extensively as a lawyer in court, and was also a legal consultant for a number of public corporations, such as the Transport Authority and Lohombus Bank.

He served as a Director for Mid Med bank between 1980 and 1987, and sat on the Housing Authority Board between 1997 and 2003.

A former Labour candidate and former president of the Chamber of Advocates, Judge Azzopardi was appointed Judge of the Superior Courts in 2003 under a Nationalist administration. He also was President of the Family Section at the Civil Courts. In 2013, he was appointed by the Chief Justice to the Court of Appeal. Since 2010 he has been on the Commission for the Administration of Justice, appointed by the judiciary themselves.

Having only contested for MP once and not being successful, Judge Azzopardi was never a politically controversial character or deeply involved in the political scene.

Mr Justice Azzopardi has been described as an uncontroversial character and considered, within the legal profession, to be a very honest and affable man, who has served the court with efficiency and rectitude being generally accepted from both sides of the political divide.

Photo by James Caruana