Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg and Parliamentary Secretary Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici yesterday inaugurated the new administration offices on the fourth floor of the law courts building.

The director general at the law courts, John Baptist Galea, said that upgrading and refurnishing of the fourth floor was the completion of a much-needed ongoing project that took around 18 months.

Parliamentary secretary Mifsud Bonnici said no judiciary system could work properly without an efficient administration system.

“Upgrading the laws is very important but it is just as important to improve administrative practices,” said Dr Mifsud Bonnici.

He pointed out that, at present, there were around 400 employees who were working in an area that was too small for their needs.

However, he said, no one thought that so many people would be working at the law courts when the building was originally constructed.

The fourth floor will provide the employees with a better working environment while creating more working space in the lower levels of the law courts, said Dr Mifsud Bonnici.

The government was constantly working towards improving the law courts, he added

“However, more still needs to be done, including new structures for the judiciary,” he said.

Minister Borg said that, finally, after several suggestions were made to convert it to a canteen or a cafeteria, among other things, a good use was found for the fourth floor.

“Efficient administration within the law courts is as important as the judiciary and all the other stakeholders,” said Dr Borg.

He pointed out that a number of new procedures were recently introduced to help the Maltese judiciary system become more efficient.