Venice Commission welcomes constitutional reforms, criticises rushed process

The Venice Commission has given a positive opinion of legal and constitutional reforms enacted this year but criticised government for rushing them through.

In an opinion on the six laws out of 10 enacted just before parliament’s summer recess, the Council of Europe body noted the government’s commitment to take on board its suggestions.

However, it was critical of the rushed process, which did not allow for sufficient dialogue with civil society despite the laws achieving unanimity in parliament.

Earlier this year, Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis put forward constitutional reforms that included changes in the way the president is chosen and how members of the judiciary are selected. The reforms reflected proposals made by the Venice Commission in a review of Malta’s judicial and governance systems in 2018.

“The Venice Commission’s positive opinion on legal and constitutional reforms enacted this year is a certificate for Robert Abela’s administration,” Zammit Lewis told MaltaToday.

He acknowledged the rushed process to adopt the reforms but insisted this was because the government believed in them and did not want to continue dragging its feet on the process.

“The changes did not happen by chance. They were a direct result of the Abela administration, which in eight months did what no other administration did in 20 years,” Zammit Lewis said, adding the government remained committed to change.