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Chief Justice Urges Parliament to Appoint His Successor
Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti used his address at the opening of the forensic year to press government and opposition to resolve the deadlock over choosing his successor, while warning that the judiciary was under growing strain.
Speaking at the opening of the forensic year in Hall 22, Chetcuti said the matter of his succession could not remain unresolved. "The way things happened in parliament saddened me," he told those gathered, adding, "I didn't think I would be here again."
Beyond the succession question, Chetcuti laid out a stark picture of a judiciary under strain. He noted that the Commercial Court now has one judge carrying a load previously shared by three, while the Criminal and Inferior Courts are similarly stretched. Two recent judicial appointments, he pointed out, simply replaced those who had left, leaving two vacancies still unfilled.
He also raised concerns about magistrates being tied up with traffic contraventions running into thousands of cases annually, suggesting dedicated tribunals across Malta and Gozo could free them to focus on more serious matters. On family cases, he called for in-house specialists and argued that pending Family Court reforms, though welcome, fall short without the right tools and staffing in place first.
He closed by urging the completion of the Gozo courthouse, a project promised for roughly 13 years, and reminded all court staff of their duty to serve with discipline and without personal interest.
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