New warranting process for lawyers approved by Justice Minister

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard has approved a new warranting process for graduate lawyers and legal procurators.

The 105 candidates who applied for their warrant during the past year can now sit for the exam.

MaltaToday was the first to reveal how new rules were going to force applicants o divulge any serious physical or mental health problems as part of a controversial test to obtain their warrant.

Attard, who by law has to endorse the test, had refused to do so because some of the questions were invasive.

The test included questions about students’ mental and physical health, their disabilities, previous drug or gambling addictions and even where they went to secondary school.

On 12 May this year, Attard wrote to President George Vella who heads the CAJ asking for a resolution to the matter.

The ministry said in a statement Attard has insisted the warranting process for current applicants be carried out as efficiently as possible.

“The ministry is offering the needed assistance so candidates can receive and submit the needed information digitally, with the aim of facilitating the process to make it as efficient as possible,” it said.