Prime Minister Robert Abela told Parliament on Monday that justice cannot truly be done if it has been done after many years.

Both the PL and the PN spoke in parliament on Monday on the government’s amendments to the Criminal Code to block any efforts to delay court proceedings with the intention of obtaining bail. The two sides of the House held discussions on legislative amendments to suspend time limits for the release on bail of an accused person in instances where the individual self-harms.

The amendments form part of the government’s attempts to shorten the length of judicial proceedings, giving a one-year limit to the compilation of evidence stage of the judicial process in criminal trials.

The country’s Criminal Code states that release from arrest is granted if a hearing of a case does not take place within 30 months, in cases where the accused is charged with a crime punishable by 15 years in prison or more.

The proposed amendments, while retaining the current laws, will allow for the time period to be suspended if the accused tries to disrupt proceedings by inflicting self-harm.

Abela said that the amendments will ensure that no one can abuse of the judicial process. He said that the amendments would ensure an effective, strong, and timely judicial processes.

“We cannot continue accepting further delays and we will continue to add more reforms,” Abela said. He said that citizens deserve to be served and feel protected. He added that government continues to fight criminality, not just petty crimes but also organised crime.

He also addressed the issue of a lack of human resources in the court, saying that it is a shame that the few members of the judicial system who are not working enough, are putting on a disproportionate weight on their colleagues.

Abela said that Malta has the highest number of members of the judiciary it ever had, who have been appointed independently from the government due to reforms it has previously done.

The PM praised the Opposition for its cooperation in ensuring that the amendment is introduced as quickly as possible.

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech also addressed the House, saying that justice cannot only be done, but must also be seen to be done. He remarked that Malta’s criminal proceedings take twice as long as the European average, something which must change, he said.

“A society without justice is a society that does not respect itself, lives in fear, does not live its democracy and a society that erases the victims’ dignity,” Grech said.

He echoed Abela’s sentiments on there not being further delays to a judicial process, remarking that five years have passed since journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, and the criminal proceedings are still ongoing.

“It is not reasonable that we still have ongoing and opened compilations of serious crimes,” he said.

In reply to Abela’s comments on fighting organised crime, Grech said that government has previously voted against laws proposed by the PN to fight organised crime.

Grech also said that it would be useless for government to introduce reforms, when individuals in crucial roles are not doing their work properly, naming the office of the Attorney General (AG). Grech said that the AG should be elected through a two-thirds majority, following a public call.

“The office of the AG needs to become once again an institution which attracts the best legal minds. The government’s and politicians’ interference needs to stop for this to occur.