Justice Minister Clifton Grima has defended the independence of Malta's courts, saying that justice must be based on evidence established through law rather than suppositions.

Speaking on Sunday on social media, Grima said he agreed with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's call for there to be no impunity for the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, but stressed that this principle had to be applied through the country's judicial institutions.

"Justice does not mean doing what we wish but allowing the institutions to work independently according to the evidence and the law," Grima said.

His comments came days after von der Leyen told MEPs that there must be no impunity for Caruana Galizia's murder.

Grima said a person's guilt must be established through evidence and according to the law, adding that the same principle had to apply to everyone.

He noted that several people were already serving prison sentences in connection with the murder, while arguing that justice could not mean deciding who was guilty or innocent outside the courts.

Grima also addressed criticism of the jury system following Yorgen Fenech's acquittal on all charges related to Caruana Galizia's murder.

He questioned why some of the arguments now being made against the jury system had not been raised before the verdict, saying that people could agree or disagree with a judgment but should not undermine the judicial process simply because a verdict was not to their liking.

He called for respect towards the courts while acknowledging that questions about how the system could be improved were legitimate.

Grima said this was different from declaring the entire judicial system a failure, pointing to several reforms carried out in recent years.

These included changes to the appointment of judges, which he said were no longer made through political channels, as well as the separation of the justice and home affairs ministries and the separation of the roles of the Attorney General and the State Advocate.

The number of judges had also been increased and additional resources allocated to the judiciary, Grima said, adding that investment would continue.

On the police investigation into four jurors who served on the Fenech trial, Grima said such investigations should be taken seriously, but stressed that an investigation was not a verdict.

He urged people not to draw conclusions before all the facts had been established, saying the investigation itself demonstrated that institutions were working to establish the truth.

Grima said he was deliberately avoiding comments that could influence ongoing court proceedings or any proceedings that could arise in the future.

He said it was not the role of politicians to determine guilt or innocence, as that responsibility belonged to the courts.

Grima also expressed solidarity with Caruana Galizia's family and said the government had a responsibility to protect the right to life and ensure justice was delivered according to the law.

He cautioned against what he described as selective interpretations of the rule of law, while reiterating that criticism of the judicial system should be distinguished from claims that the entire system was broken.

The government, he said, would continue investing in the justice sector and ensuring that institutions could operate independently.