Today, Parliament will discuss a motion put forward by the Partit Nazzjonalista to improve the Legal Notice issued by the Government regarding the Anti-SLAPP law and to fully implement the recommendations of the public inquiry into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, which the Government has ignored for more than three years.

This motion was presented by Shadow Minister for Justice Karol Aquilina as well as Shadow Minister for Public Administration, Public Broadcasting, and the Fight Against Diabetes Claudette Buttigieg, in November 2024.

At the end of last July, the Government boasted that the EU Anti-SLAPP directive would become part of national law through a Legal Notice. However, this Legal Notice grants Maltese journalists the lowest level of protection provided by the directive, the Nationalist Party said.

The PN views the Anti-SLAPP directive as a significant opportunity for Malta not only to align its laws with EU directives but also to ensure the highest possible level of protection for journalists against abuses by those seeking to conceal the truth.

For this reason, through this motion, the PN is proposing the following amendments to the Government's Legal Notice: 

1.   The Anti-SLAPP law should apply both to cases involving other countries and to cases filed solely in Malta;

2.   The financial penalties imposed on those who initiate strategic lawsuits against public participation should be increased from a maximum of €10,000 to a minimum of €10,000 and a maximum of €100,000;

3.   Data on Anti-SLAPP cases should be published online and presented in Parliament when submitted to the European Commission;

4.   Court rulings in Malta on Anti-SLAPP cases must not be concealed and should always remain public.

During today's session, the PN will also be presenting another proposal to ensure that when a court in Malta is deciding whether to recognise and enforce a foreign court ruling, no negative inference can be drawn from the fact that the person did not respond to the case brought against them in a foreign court. This proposal will be presented following a suggestion and in consultation with the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM).

The PN said it is also insisting that the Prime Minister and the Minister for Justice conduct a broad and effective public consultation on how the Anti-SLAPP directive should be transposed into Maltese law. Following the completion of this public consultation, they should present a bill to Parliament by no later than 31st March 2025.

Furthermore, the PN said it insists that the Government should conduct a public consultation on all matters related to and identified by the public inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, which are necessary for the protection of journalism in Malta.

The PN recalled that the Government has been promising for over a year to publish a white paper to consult on reforms to strengthen journalism in Malta.