Civil society organisation Repubblika has expressed serious concern over a recent decision by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, which concluded that, under the current rules, Members of Parliament are not under a formal obligation to tell the truth in their public statements.

According to Repubblika, this interpretation arises from a gap in the existing ethical framework: while the Code of Ethics for Ministers explicitly includes a duty of honesty, the Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament does not contain an equivalent requirement.

In a statement, Repubblika argued that ethical behaviour in public life must be grounded in more than technical or literal interpretations of written rules. The organisation stressed that at the heart of any ethical code - whether for ministers, MPs, or persons of trust - there must be a clear and unwavering commitment to truth, transparency, accountability, and respect for the public interest.

Repubblika warned that misinformation, whether delivered deliberately or through negligence by individuals holding public office, undermines democracy and erodes public trust. "Ethical public life requires loyalty to what is right," the organisation said, adding that knowingly misleading the public is incompatible with democratic responsibility.

The organisation also noted that ethics cannot be enforced in the same way as legal technicalities in a court of law. If ethical codes function only through narrow literal interpretations, Repubblika cautioned, standards risk being reduced to a search for loopholes rather than serving as guiding principles for conduct. If ethics demand nothing more than the minimum required to avoid breaking the law, the group argued, then ethical oversight becomes redundant.

Repubblika emphasised the need for a culture of integrity in public life, built on the reasonable expectation of the Maltese public that elected representatives seek the truth and do not mislead those they serve.

The decision, the organisation said, highlights serious deficiencies in the current ethical framework and underscores the urgency of updating the Code of Ethics for Members of Parliament. Repubblika called for the introduction of clear obligations that reflect fundamental democratic norms, including truthfulness, honesty in public communication, and accountability for misinformation.

Concluding its statement, Repubblika maintained that ethical standards should not be judged solely by narrow readings of written rules, but by behavioural norms that citizens have a reasonable right to expect from public office holders. The organisation said the role of integrity institutions and codes of conduct should be to ensure honesty, responsibility, and respect for the democratic trust placed in public officials-not to provide technical justifications for unethical behaviour.

Archbishop Charles Scicluna also criticised the Standard Commissioner's statement on social media. "It beggars belief that an MP may be untruthful with impunity since lying is not prohibited by their Code of Conduct. Such a positivistic reading of the law is an affront to human decency."

Honesty and truth belong to natural law - Momentum

In a statement later, Momentum said that the decision by the Standards Commissioner that Ministers have to tell the truth, but MPs do not have to "is absolutely baffling."

The commissioner's report says that MPs lying does not constitute a breach of ethics, since "the obligation of honesty is only found in the code of ethics for ministers".

Arnold Cassola, Momentum chairperson, stated: "Truth and honesty are part and parcel of natural law and justice. We do not need any parliamentary or judicial luminaries to distort the meaning of this natural law".