Malta addresses flaws in justice system flagged by Venice Commission

VALLETTA, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Malta is pushing to implement a number of measures to address shortcomings in its justice system, which were flagged by the Council of Europe's Venice commission in its report on the rule of law on the Mediterranean island.

At a press conference on Thursday, Maltese Justice Minister Owen Bonnici announced an amendment to Malta's Constitution, creating separate roles for the attorney general and the prosecutor general.

As things currently stand, the Office of the Attorney General is both the government's lawyer and chief prosecutor. This was one of several issues flagged by the Venice commission due to the potential conflict of interest this entailed. The person responsible for prosecutions will now be separate from the attorney general, who fills the role of the government's legal counsel.

Apart from the attorney general's dual role, the Venice commission has highlighted the excessive powers held by the prime minister and the mechanism by which members of the judiciary are appointed, saying it does not not guarantee full independence from the executive branch of government.

Bonnici said the government would also reform the method of appointing and removing members of the judiciary as suggested by the Venice commission.

The minister also announced that next Monday he intends to launch the legislative process needed to address other areas flagged by the Venice commission, such as the role of the ombudsman, permanent secretaries, positions of trust, independent commissions and the police force.

To date, the government has been focusing on a third of the issues raised by the Venice commission, he said, adding that once these changes are implemented, the government will tackle the remaining recommendations.