The Ministry for Justice has today issued a public call in the Government Gazette for the appointment of five new magistrates, which include four additional magistrates and one magistrate to fill the position of a magistrate who will be appointed judge.

The statement from the Ministry said that this step, taken after discussions with the Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, aims to strengthen the judiciary in line with the government's electoral programme.

This addition to the judiciary is intended to satisfy the first phase of reforms in the field of magisterial inquiries, it said. 

With the addition of four extra magistrates, the Chief Justice will have the authority to appoint four magistrates dedicated specifically to magisterial inquiries.

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said that this decision and investment will provide a stronger foundation for further reforms in the sector, with the ultimate goal of achieving a more efficient justice system.

He said that this will be the first phase of a comprehensive reform, and the next step is to open public consultation for the legislative and administrative reform.

“This increase, following the recent call for three new judges, will further strengthen the judiciary, which is already the largest in the history of our courts. It will also lead to an increase in the number of judges relative to the population, as calculated in international assessments of judicial systems,” the statement read.

Interested individuals should submit their applications with all the required documents no later than Monday, 30 October, 2023, by 1:00pm, to the Secretary of the Judicial Appointments Committee, at the Courts of Justice, in Valletta.