The Nationalist Party has proposed Judge Lawrence "Wenzu" Mintoff for the post of chief justice, as discussions continue with the government over a successor to Mark Chetcuti.

The move comes a day after the government put forward Judge Miriam Hayman's name. Appointment requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority, making cross-party agreement essential.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Robert Abela attempted to secure approval for Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera without Opposition backing, but the motion failed after the PN voted against it. Opposition leader Alex Borg has insisted negotiations remain confidential, accusing the prime minister of breaching trust when he publicly announced a previous nomination.

Mintoff, 66, would serve only two years before reaching the constitutional retirement age of 68. A nephew of former Labour prime minister Dom Mintoff, he began his career in Labour's youth wing and was elected to parliament in 1987. 

He later broke with the party over internal violence and co-founded Alternattiva Demokratika in 1989, leading it until 1998. He rejoined Labour and was appointed judge in 2014 by then prime minister Joseph Muscat.

On the bench, Mintoff has delivered several notable rulings. In 2022, he annulled a government agreement with the hunters' lobby FKNK over land at Miżieb and L-Aħrax, citing legal inconsistencies. 

He also ruled against landlords in a case concerning old agricultural leases, affirming broad state discretion. In 2024, he dismissed Yorgen Fenech's request to remove Superintendent Keith Arnaud from the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation, criticising conflicts of interest involving former chief of staff Keith Schembri.