The third candidate nominated by the government for the post of Judge at the EU General Court has been rejected, the Nationalist Party has said.

It was reported that David Ciliberti, a lawyer who has worked in EU institutions since 2008, became the third Maltese candidate to be rejected for the position, meaning that Malta has no successor for Ramona Frendo, who had gone to the European Court of Justice.

Edward Zammit Lewis and Veronique Dalli had previously been rejected for the position.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said: "For the third consecutive time, Robert Abela has turned Malta into a laughing stock in Europe, as yet another of his nominees for Judge at the General Court of the European Union has been rejected."

"After the nomination of Edward Zammit Lewis was turned down towards the end of last year, and the second choice - Veronique Dalli - was also rejected, the Government's third nomination for this same role has now suffered the same fate."

This means that Malta has now gone almost a year without a Judge at the EU General Court, following the conclusion of Judge Ramona Frendo's term, the PN said.

"Aside from personally humiliating the individuals he nominated for this important post, the greatest humiliation caused by the Labour Government under Robert Abela is to Malta itself - to our country's credibility and reputation at European level," the PN said in its statement.

"This comes with striking irony, given that the Labour Party has been accusing the Opposition of damaging Malta's reputation abroad. Once again, the Government of Robert Abela concealed the news that its third nominee for Judge at the EU General Court was not approved."

"As confirmed by the candidate himself, the selection board acknowledged his experience in European law and in EU institutions, yet concluded that he had not yet developed the 'technical specificity' required for the role. In light of this, the PN expects the Labour Government to reform the nomination process to ensure that future candidates proposed by Malta for high-level positions within the European Union truly possess the necessary qualities and credentials for the post."

The responsibility for this third failure in just a few months lies squarely on the shoulders of Robert Abela and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, the PN said.

"Both Abela and Attard have clearly failed to understand the seriousness of the scrutiny process required for the appointment of Judges to the EU General Court."

The PN statement was signed by Joe Giglio, the party's Shadow Minister for Justice.