After six weeks of testimony, cross-examinations, and courtroom moments, the jury trial of those accused of murdering Carmel Chircop and Daphne Caruana Galizia moved into its final phase on Thursday morning.

With a firm yet composed tone, Judge Edwina Grima concluded her instructions to the jury at around 9:45am, officially sending them into deliberations to decide the fate of the accused four.

"The time has come for you to begin your deliberations," Judge Grima said, addressing the jurors. She reminding them that they must weigh the evidence carefully and without prejudice.

She thanked the jury for their sacrifices, while also thanking who contributed in this jury.

The judge also thanked journalists for their daily reporting of proceedings and disseminating information to the public.

The responsibility on conviction or acquittal now rests on the shoulders of nine citizen jurors.   

A central figure in the proceedings has been Vince Muscat il-Koħħu, whose testimony after pleading guilty to involvement in Caruana Galizia's murder has played a major role in the prosecution's case. The defence, however, has challenged his credibility.

The accused - Robert Agius, Jamie Vella, Adrian Agius, and George Degiorgio - deny all charges. They face allegations ranging from supplying the explosives used in Caruana Galizia's 2017 assassination to commissioning the 2015 murder of Chircop.