The Chamber of Advocates on Thursday expressed its concern that Prime Minister Robert Abela used a press conference to attack the judiciary when he knows full well that it cannot defend itself.

The chamber was referring to the PM’s attack on magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia, who the PM criticised for taking long in completing the magisterial inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia, the 20-year-old who died when a building under construction collapsed in Kordin.

The chamber said that the procedure of a magisterial inquiry is regulated by the Criminal Code which lays down that it needs to be completed in 60 days. If this does not happen, the magistrate should inform the Attorney General in a report indicating why a delay is experienced. At the end of each month following that, a report is to be presented to the AG explaining the delay.

The chamber said that the procedure followed in the Sofia case was not different from other magisterial inquiries, and it is clear that no magistrate requests an extension of the deadline. The chamber said that the report sent to the AG is confidential, and should not be made public.

The chamber said that it is concerning that the PM was in possession of information that is supposedly available only to the AG.

The chamber said it appreciated that the judiciary is not above criticism, but it appealed for more maturity and that, in all cases, complete and factual information is given.

The chamber asked the Minister of Justice for a discussion on changes ti the procedures that could expedite the conclusion of magisterial inquiries.

In a second statement, the chamber expressed its solidarity with the Attorney General after she was insulted in a social media post.