The Chamber of Advocates today said that in appointing two former Labour officials as magistrates, the government disregarded the recommendations of the Bonello Commission on the reform of the justice system.

The appointment of former Labour international secretary Joseph Mifsud, and sitting deputy mayor Monica Vella, was announced on Saturday evening.

“The Bonello recommendations on the appointment of members of the judiciary are key in the overall reform to the justice system which the Chamber has on numerous occasions supported and continues to support. It is the implementation of those recommendations however, which sets the benchmark against which the government’s commitment to reform the justice system will be measured, and not the articulation of words of support,” the Chamber said.

“When the opportunity to implement recommendations, which the government has expressed support to presents itself and is foregone, the level and intensity of the political will and commitment to carry out the reform is, with reason, questioned.

“Inadequate regard to important institutional recommendations aimed at enhancing credibility in the judicial system, continues to undermine public confidence in the current judicial system,” the Chamber said.

The commission for the holistic reform of the justice system, headed by former European Court of Human Rights judge Giovanni Bonello, had disagreed with the way judges are appointed in Malta, lamenting the lack of transparency in the selection process.

The Bonello Commission proposed that it would be a specialised authority to make the selection process, while the government acts according to the advice of that Authority.