The nomination of Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera for the post of judge has been turned down by the Judicial Appointments Committee, the Sunday Times of Malta reports.

The nomination was submitted by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, but the committee found her unfit for the role, “not over matters of competence but over her conduct in private life”.

The committee recently approved the nominations of Toni Abela as judge and Grazio Mercieca as magistrate. It was set up in the wake of a controversy which erupted after the government had nominated two magistrates which were found not to have the requirements needed for the job.

The decision of Magistrate Scerri Herrera was made after a thorough examination of her credentials, including her private and financial matters, the newspaper reported.

The committee, made up of the Chief Justice, the Ombudsman, the Attorney General, the Auditor General and the President of the Chamber of Advocates, also held an interview with the magistrate.

She had been censured by the Commission for the Administration of Justice for breaching the judiciary’s code of ethics.