The responses of a committee of media experts to a number of proposed reforms to the journalism sector are being analysed by the government as it gets ready to table legislative changes in parliament, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard told representatives from the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM) on Wednesday.

Attard met with IĠM President Matthew Xuereb and IĠM Secretary General Kurt Sansone on Wednesday, where he said that the government remains committed to strengthening the journalism profession in Malta, including through strengthening the law in order to offer more protection to the industry.

“This is why a committee of media experts was appointed, as suggested by the board which led the public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder,” Attard said.

The committee was appointed at the start of the year, and is made up of journalists Matthew Xuereb, Kurt Sansone, and Neil Camilleri, media house owner Saviour Balzan, academics Carmen Sammut, Saviour Formosa, and lawyer Kevin Dingli.

Retired judge Michael Mallia, who chaired the aforementioned public inquiry, is chairing the committee.

According to their terms of reference, the committee must give its feedback on what the government presents to them within the space of a year – which feedback will be published.

Attard said that in recent weeks, the first batch of feedback had been sent to the ministry on a number of Bills which the government had prepared and which it wanted the committee’s input on.

“That response is now being analysed so that the government will be in a position to table the legal changes before parliament.  In this, the government will continue to work with a sense of dialogue and full transparency,” Attard said.

He said that the changes which will continue being done in the coming period of time in the media sector will join up with the raft of “unprecedented” reforms which the government has done to favour rule of law and good governance.