Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri has been granted the use of two official cars, The Times has learnt.
All members of the judiciary are eligible to use one Government-funded, chauffeur-driven car for their official and private engagements, the Justice Ministry confirmed.
However, the Chief Justice has permission to use two.
Asked to explain why the Chief Justice needs two vehicles at his disposal although having just one driver, a Justice Ministry spokesman said: “While judges and magistrates have a car to use for both official and personal reasons, Dr Camilleri has one car for official use and the other for private use.”
Sources close to the judiciary said this was the first time that the Chief Justice had been given access to two cars paid by the taxpayer.
“Although there were instances where Dr Camilleri’s predecessors asked to have a second car to be at par with ministers, the authorities always turned down such requests, insisting one was enough,” the sources said.
The Prime Minister, ministers and parliamentary secretaries have a second car at their disposal as well as the official ministerial one.
According to an agreement reached between the Government and the judiciary in 2000, the car benefits for judges and magistrates include: full coverage of regular maintenance; repairs and valeting; a replacement car during the servicing period; a fuel allowance of 1,800 litres a year and a full-time driver, who is a government employee and paid an extra annual allowance of €3,780 to compensate for irregular hours and who works under the judge or magistrate’s sole direction.
Asked whether the official car and the driver assigned to the judiciary could be used by family members for private errands,the spokesman made it clear that, according to a government memo, this should not bethe case.
“It should be clear that the job responsibility (of the official driver) is driving duties with the judge or magistrate in connection with his or her official duties,” the memo issued to the Chief Justice in 2001 stated.
However, the memo gave some elbow room as it also stated: “If the right relation-ship is built (with the driver) this will not be strictly interpreted.”
The Chief Justice has also been given an extra fuel allowance of 300 litres a year.