A legislative reform which critics believe will curb the ability of Maltese citizens to call a magisterial inquiry passed the First Reading stage in Parliament on Wednesday.

The reform was announced over the Christmas period in reaction to a number of magisterial inquiry requests filed against government ministers and officials by lawyer and former PN MP Jason Azzopardi, and was tabled in Parliament some days later.

The PN and NGOs such as Repubblika have suggested that the bill – which is still under wraps at this stage of parliamentary proceedings – will remove or reduce a citizen’s ability to request a magisterial inquiry.

It is unusual for a vote to be called at First Reading stage, but the PN had been adamant that it would oppose the bill at every stage.

“Even though we do not have a copy of the bill, we are voting against it,” PN leader Bernard Grech told Parliament shortly before the vote took place.

“The government wants to removing the citizen’s right to open an investigation,” Grech said as the government benches accused him of being a liar.

The bill passed through the First Reading stage with bloc votes on either side – 40 MPs voted in favour, while 33 voted against.