'Malta's nominations likely to be accepted'

Malta has convinced the sub-committee for the election of judges in the Human Rights and Legal Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly why it had to nominate three men and its reasons have been accepted.

The post is currently held by Judge Giovanni Bonello.

A spokesman for the sub-committee had said that an all-male list could only be accepted as an exception if it was proven that there was strictly no possibility to nominate a woman. Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici told Parliament yesterday that the sub-committee had recommended to the Committee of Human Rights and Legal Affairs to accept the Maltese list.

But when this committee last met there was no quorum and a decision could not be taken. The committee is meeting again this month.

The minister was replying to a parliamentary question by Labour MP José Herrera.