Justice Minister Jonathan Attard said in Parliament on Monday that the State Advocate, on behalf of the Maltese State, will be appealing a ruling decided last Friday that granted a prisoner serving a life sentence in Malta the right to have the possibility of parole review after serving 25 years.

On Friday, 21 November 2025, the Constitutional Jurisdiction of the Civil Court ruled that the statutory exclusion of life prisoners from parole amounts to inhuman treatment under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

This ruling was made in reference to convicted murderer Andy Calleja who was arrested on 14 November 2001, and later convicted in 2004, for voluntary homicide and aggravated theft in connection with the killing of Police Constable Roger Debattista during a robbery at the Bank of Valletta branch at Ta' Farsina in Qormi. His life imprisonment was confirmed by the Court of Appeal in June 2005.

As a result, the Civil Court ruled that Calleja must be afforded with a review for the possibility of parole review after serving 25 years of his life sentence.

Speaking in Parliament, Government Whip and PL MP Naomi Cachia said that the Court recently decided that the automatic exclusion of prisoners serving life sentences from the possibility of parole breaches the Constitution and the EU Convention of Human Rights, and asked the minister if, after this judgement, there have been any developments.

In response, the minister said with regards to the Judgement she made reference to, they are at the stage of appeal.

"I am informed that the State Advocate, on behalf of the Maltese State, will be appealing this case," Minister Attard shared.

The Justice Minister refused to comment on this case any further, stating that it would be "inappropriate" for him to discuss this sentence or its merits in Parliament.