Two judges, two magistrates will be added to judiciary bench

Two judges and two magistrates will be added to judiciary in the coming weeks.

The Justice Ministry made the announcement on Monday, hours after the Chief Justice said that more judges and magistrates are needed to alleviate court delays.

Nominations for the positions will be opened in the coming days.

A revised selection process was introduced a few years ago. Interested applicants must apply for the position through an open call, after which a judicial appointments committee in the Commission for the Administration of Justice screens all candidates.

The recommendations are passed on to the President, who is in charge of appointing judges and magistrates.

There are 25 judges and 23 magistrates on Malta’s judiciary bench.

Earlier on Monday, Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti delivered a speech at a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the forensic year. During his speech, he commented at length on measures that should be taken to strengthen the judiciary.

He said that having two more judges to the Court of Appeals would help speed up the appeals process. He also said that at least two more magistrates are needed, with one magistrate dedicated to hearing domestic violence cases.