State Advocate Victoria Buttigieg appointed Attorney General

Malta’s State Attorney Victoria Buttigieg, 43, has been appointed State Prosecutor, or Attorney General.

She is Malta’s first female Attorney General.

The one-time AG employee was made Malta’s first State Advocate, in a separation of the AG’s office between its primary role as State Prosecutor and the role of the government’s legal advisor, back in December 2019.

Buttigieg was one of three candidates for the post vacated by former AG Peter Grech, together with deputy AG Philip Galea Farrugia and University of Malta senior lecturer Chris Soler. The AG was selected for the first time after a public call for applications.

Buttigieg was selectd by an independent selection committee presided by three retired judges. Prime Minister Robert Abela accepted the recommendation from the committee, which was confirmed by the President of the Republic.

In a first reaction from the Opposition, Jason Azzopardi, the lawyer to the Caruana Galizia family, lambasted the appointment, saying Buttigieg had never presented one criminal case in her career. “Peter Grech is once again Attorney General,” Azzopardi said, mocking the appointment of Buttigieg as a repeat of her predecessor. “The consequences will not be nice.”

On Facebook, the deputy Attorney General Philip Galea Farrugia who also applied for the positin, posted a message that did not once mention his new superior.

“Pursuing justice without fear or favour whilst literally putting your life at risk does not make you ‘popular’, however it is still appreciated by some, albeit the few. On a personal note, I’ll face whatever the future may have in store for me with a clear conscience, a peaceful mind, and an unburdened heart knowing that I can look my son in the eye and tell him that for 10 years or so of my life I did the best I could do, to the best of my knowledge and ability, in pursuit of making this country a safer place.”

Former AG Peter Grech occupied the post of AG for 10 years.

This was the first time that a new AG was appointed following the formal separation of the office’s duties.

Buttigieg graduated in laws from the University in Malta in 2001, and obtained a Masters in Financial Services.

In 2007, she joined the Attorney General’s office where she worked as Assistant Attorney General in litigation, civil, administrative and constitutional matters.