Court attorney proposes sharing of information on court sentences

Court attorneys assisting the judiciary spend hours compiling information whilst drafting court sentences and such information should be shared, a court attorney has suggested.

"I am sure that, since we are working by ourselves, we are duplicating information,” court attorney Grezzju Mercieca told Justice Minister Owen Bonnici during a listening session on the justice sector.

“Sometimes I spend three hours on a sentence, other times I may even spend three days. Sharing the information gathered during our research can help save time.”
Court attorneys - all appointed through a selection process led by members of the judiciary -were introduced following recommendations made by a justice reform commission drafted by retired judge Giovanni Bonello. There are currently 12 court attorneys the majority of whom are women.

Mercieca also proposed the establishment of a association for court attorneys, while describing their role as working “in the shadow of a judge" – they draft sentences, but the ultimate decision and responsibility lies with the judges.

Court attorneys work from home, which he said saved them a lot of traveling time.

Mercieca added that court attorneys should collaborate more closely, noting how he had only once met the director general.

Also present for the listening session were Chamber of Advocates president George Hyzler and Attorney General Peter Grech.

Hyzler said the Chamber appreciated efforts by the government to improve the efficiency of the law courts and that the introduction of court attorneys had helped   reduce the waiting time in delivery of judgements. The Chamber, he added, had its own questions and suggestions on improving the system.

The session continued in private.