Chief Justice calls for revision of judges' retirement age

Chief Justice Vincent de Gaetano this morning made another appeal to the government and the opposition to reconsider his proposal for the retirement age of judges to be raised from 65 to 68.

Speaking during the opening of the Forensic Year, he said that the Bench was this year losing two judges because of retirement. Mr Justice Joseph David Camilleri and Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono. Another judge, Philip Sciberras, is due to retire next year.

The Chief Justice said all three could continue to give a valid contribution to the administration of justice but Malta's mandatory retirement age was too low when compared to the rest of the EU.

He also pointed out that he did not think that the post of Chief Justice should be filled by someone who was over 65. Anyone who reached retirement age while holding that Office should return to the substantive post of judge until turning 68 if he so wanted.

Dr de Gaetano thanked newly appointed judge Michael Mallia for his loyalty to the judiciary when he served as magistrate and described him as a very hard worker.

He congratulated the two new magistrates also sworn in this week, saying their appointment made him feel old because he could remember teaching them.

Chief Justice de Gaetano said that the number of cases in the civil and appeals courts was diminishing, but it was continuing to increase before the Magistrates' Courts because of the growing influx of new cases.

He said that judges very often had to work with a lack of staff. There were only four legal aid lawyers and one children’s advocate and he called on the situation to be rectified.

Between January 1 and December 31 last year 4,575 new district cases were filed and 4,501 were decided. Many cases were in the Paola, Hamrun and St Julian’s districts.

The criminal court decided 15,740 cases and the number of new drug cases before the courts had increased from 489 in 2008 to 461 so far this year. He did not know whether this was a result of growing social problems or because the police had stepped up their operations.

Dr Andrew Borg Cardona, president of the Chamber of Advocates said the chamber was at an advanced stage of talks with the Minister of Justice on the drafting of a new law that would regulate the legal profession in a way which a 21st century European country deserved

The minister and the colleagues who sat on a committee to do this work were registering substantial progress and a bill would be announced in the coming months.