‘Radical changes’ to judiciary needed – Giovanni Bonello

Maltese politicians are “stuck in a colonial mindset” and ignorant of the way judges are appointed in most democratic countries, according to one of the most eminent Maltese judges. With two members of the judiciary facing impeachment motions and the memory of two other disgraced judges still fresh in people’s minds, political consensus on the need for judicial reform is at an all-time-high. But former European Court of Human Rights judge Giovanni Bonello yesterday had some harsh words for local politicians, whom he said were seemingly unwilling to contemplate any radical changes to the judiciary. Judges in Malta are nomin-ated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the President. They are generally plucked from the legal field. That differs radically to continental systems, where judges must qualify as such and can only be promoted once they have outdone their peers in exam contexts, Dr Bonello said. “In most other systems I know, those who intend to make the judiciary their career must join specialised law courses that train them specifically to become judges; they must sit for competitive exams to enter the judiciary and are only promoted following more competitive...