No pressure, from any angle, should be exercised on the pillars of justice, President Myriam Spiteri Debono said as she delivered her speech during Republic Day on Friday. 

President Spiteri Debono said that there should be caution to not overstep certain boundaries, which she added is especially pertinent in regard to the Law Courts, the Office of the Attorney General, and the Police.

She stated that these three institutions are entrusted with the administration of justice, and added that all types of pressure on these justice institutions are dangerous, even if well-intentioned. “Even good intentions can lead us to hell,” she said.

Spiteri Debono spoke of laws which were enacted with the aim of increasing citizens’ access to remedies in cases where they feel that they were treated unjustly, as well as laws which increased scrutiny and discipline in governance.

With that in mind, she referred to the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman, which she said gave citizens the possibility to raise complaints and possibly get a remedy if they felt aggrieved by administrative action by the government or other authorities. She spoke of the Auditor General’s office and the procedure of his reporting to parliament, which increased scrutiny of government performance. She also mentioned the creation of the Office of the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, who has the capability to investigate ethics breaches or duties of public persons.

Speaking further on the Standards Commissioner, she said that “one wonders if this institution has the necessary wherewithal to be an effective disciplinary tool”.

She added that often it would appear that decisions in the Standards Committee are taken according to party lines or instructions by the parliament whips. She said that in such circumstances, it is the Speaker of the House’s casting vote which determines the issue, as the committee is otherwise made up of two members of the government and two members of the Opposition.

Furthermore, she said that such instances put the Speaker’s position into focus, and questioned if the time has come to consider strengthening the presidency of the House of Representatives.

“Malta is witnessing incidents of unethical behaviour, at times, behaviour which is not honest and worthy of those whom the populace tasked with its representation. Respect for institutions depends on the behaviour of the occupant’s role,” the President said.

“Members of Parliament are collectively and individually responsible for the public’s perception of Parliament when one mentions this institution. It is unfair that in this regard, all members of the House of Representatives are lumped together. Whoever does not exercise proper behaviour and honesty is not only causing prejudice to the people, but also to those other Members who are upright and honest, and I add, also towards himself/herself.”

She commented that the less work that the representatives give the Standards Commissioner, the more deserving they are of the ‘Honourable’ title.

The President expressed that she sincerely thinks the time has come to seriously examine how the parliamentary institution can be strengthened. She said that the question of whether MPs should be full-time has been raised for a long time. “There is nothing to hold back the Members of parliament from moving forward on this,” she said, “not only in their respective parties, but also in parliament itself by an ad-hoc committee endowed with the power to delve into this matter and make recommendations thereon.”

She also briefly mentioned the financing of political parties, commenting that up to the present state, their financing has “not yet been examined in depth”. She continued that these two matters were mentioned in the hope that they can help to decrease certain behaviour, behaviour which is “not only shameful, but also dangerous, since it blurs the strict line of division between the power of money and the people of the people in the governance of the country”.

Moving to a different matter, the President said that it is desirable that recommendations of public inquiries are implemented. She said that the process of implementation of the Sofia inquiry’s recommendations has to be concluded, and continued that a lot of work under the auspices of the Justice ministry has already been accomplished.

She spoke of the Caruana Galizia inquiry, which she said put special emphasis on the journalistic profession. She commented that it is important that discussion regarding journalism as part of the tools of democracy continues, and added that the people have an interest in the journalistic profession.

President Spiteri Debono said that one of the most weight concerns that appears to be worrying youths are the problems encountered when they want to acquire their first home. She stated that the situation is the result of various factors which have to be tackled together. “The preservation of buildings in the centres of towns and villages, new buildings which encroach on the environment, the necessary infrastructure, conditions of work and pay, the realisation that persons have to be cared for holistically, all these and other considerations require fine-tuning.”

Focusing on representation in parliament, the President said that more needs to be done in order to perfect the correlation between first-count votes and seats in parliament. She said that doing so would make it more possible for minorities to be represented in parliament, and continued that the prevailing electoral system makes this an “impossible possibility, existing only between the lines”.

Spiteri Debono remarked that certain changes require consensus before being incorporated in the law, and added that there has to be the will to enact these changes. “There must be similarity of thoughts, and in order to sit at the table of civilised discussion, the atmosphere has to be cordial.”

Speaking about local councils, she mentioned how local councils were introduced thirty years ago so that citizens would be able to have a more direct say in the governance of their locality. Having said that, she questioned whether local councils are being given the necessary tools and funds to ensure that they have a more effective role in the community.

She commented that based on meetings and from information in the media, the impression is that there is a lack of coordination between the local councils and central authorities. She said that a clear line of information needs to be established between authorities and local councils. “It is important that these are kept in the know regarding matters concerning their locality,” she commented.

The President spoke of how Malta has remained in the top position of the Europe Rainbow Map Equality Index, adding that this international recognition was achieved year-after-year as a result of progressive reforms in the field of human rights.

She said that the people of Malta are hard-working and resilient. She mentioned how the tourist industry exceeded the pre-pandemic levels, as in 2023, there was an increase of 8.3% of the number of tourists compared to the number that came in 2019.

“A nation cannot stand still. Evolution is a continuous process, and one has to be ever ready to effect all necessary changes and change accordingly.  Therefore, in order for success not to result in regress, any negative effects resulting from success itself must be countered, and necessary changes made,” she said.

Spiteri Debono remarked that Malta is the nation with the third-lowest rate of unemployment in Europe, standing at 3% according to Eurostat data for 2024. She commented that Malta currently has the second-lowest unemployment rate in Maltese history.

Speaking on Gozo, the President said that Gozo has a very particular ethos. “On one side consisting of the intrinsic psychological independence of the Gozitans and on the other side the dependence Gozo has on Malta as the biggest island of our Archipelago. Hence, it is necessary that a balance be found between the Gozitan character and the situation on the ground so that Gozo develops its full potential.”

The President said that each and every one of the Maltese people must use their good qualities to do good. “It is important that we do not corrupt our young by example. Our example should instil in them a character of backbone, which translates itself into a keen sense of ethics, a keen sense of what is right and correct.”

“Viva Malta Republikka, and let us work so that we improve it for our children,” concluded the President.