The Justice Ministry has formally written to the Committee for Advocates and Legal Procurators for them to assess and investigate how a former Attorney General lawyer has started defending the Degiorgio brothers.
The Justice Ministry denied allegations that no steps were taken to strengthen the legal profession within the office of the Attorney General and that it did not implement the recommendations of an internal inquiry which was concluded in 2020.
Reacting to what has been written on social media and to a PN statement on the matter, the Justice Ministry said that this is a matter of professional ethics and that any possible breach of ethics can be investigated by the Committee for Advocates and Legal Procurators.
The PN said that the news that a lawyer – George Camilleri – "who up to a few months ago worked as a prosecutor within the Attorney General's Office is now appearing for the Degiorgio brothers - who had been found guilty for the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia - confirms that Justice Minister Jonathan Attard continued doing nothing and ignored the conclusions of the public inquiry that he had requested three years ago."
The Ministry said that it had formally written to the above committee in order to assess and investigate that which is being reported.
“While it is the duty of every professional to follow the code of ethics which regulates the legal profession, the conclusions of the aforementioned inquiry had led to a number of contractual measures and others related to professional ethics to avoid revolving door situations to be implemented,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry also said that it was informed that subsequent to the inquiry’s conclusions, a clause establishing that employees within the AG’s office should not, while they are employed with the AG, appear for private clients or enter into any negotiations on terms of engagement as defence lawyers for private clients.
Likewise, prosecutors should not, prior to the termination of their employment, make any arrangements or preparations to act as lawyers or with a legal firm in the name of any person against whom they would have led a prosecution against or on whose case the AG’s office would have given any advice on.