Draft administrative code launched, public urged to participate

The Parliamentary committee for the re-codification and consolidation of laws chaired by Nationalist MP Franco Debono today tabled the first draft of the 497-page Administrative Code in Parliament.

Addressing the press in Parliament, Debono explained that the draft includes laws which are already enacted however he said that if the draft code is approved other changes will be implemented and this will involve the participation of lawyers, civil society and other stakeholders.

The draft code will now go through a public consultation process before being discussed in the House of Parliament.

The government MP invited the public to participate in the consultation process by contacting the committee and put forward any comments and proposals on the draft code.

He explained that a number of stakeholders including the Attorney General and the Chamber of Advocates have already been approached to submit their proposals.

Debono explained that since the first meeting, held in March 2010, the committee has held 33 sittings in which a vast array of laws was discussed. These laws include the press act, criminal law, commercial law, the police code, electoral law, consumer law, civil law and the Gozo court reform.

"This committee was born out of a proposal I forwarded and although it still is in its infancy it has already generated a high level of interest in the media and a number of persons came forward and contributed to this code," Debono said.

Debono thanked fellow committee members Francis Zammit Dimech and Jose Herrera for their contribution and reserved special praise for the author of the draft Kevin Aquilina.

The MP also thanked lawyer Austin Bencini for participating in a number of meetings and also thanked the committee's secretary Anna Coleiro.

"The administrative code regulates the relationship between the state and the people and we have tried to harmonize existing laws, eliminate contradicting laws and reform certain sectors by introducing new legislation," Debono said.

Labour MP and committee member Jose Herrera expressed his satisfaction in participating in the committee."This committee is one of the success stories in the history of parliamentary committees. We have done an excellent job."

Herrera described the administrative code as the "magna opus" of the committee, and stressed that the committee should not be a temporary one but "must remain active perpetually."

Calling the draft code a "spectacular reform", Herrera said the administrative law has always been lacking in Malta and the time was ripe to propose an administrative code.

Nationalist MP Francis Zammit Dimech said he felt proud for having participated in this process and added that "a lot of work lies ahead of the committee."

He also joined the other members of the committee in thanking the dean of the faculty of law, Kevin Aquilina for his contemporary style in drafting the code.

Zammit Dimech added that the committee should strengthen its ties with the Law Commissioner in order to reinforce Parliament's legislative function.

The Nationalist MP said the code will "strengthen the social contract between the government and the people and improve the notion of good governance in Malta."

The draft code can be downloaded here.