Last updated 9.19 p.m.

Labour leader Joseph Muscat said this evening that Labour would back impeachment of Judge Ray Pace.

His comment came in a tweet shortly after Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi  demanded the judge's resignation and warned he was prepared to summon Parliament to move an impeachment motion.

In comments in Brussels, where he is currently attending an EU summit, Dr Gonzi said that without discussing issues of guilt or otherwise, the fact that a judge had been arraigned on serious charges and remanded in custody was serious enough to merit his immediate resignation.

He warned that if resignation did not come about, he was prepared to summon Parliament and move an impeachment motion.

Malta, he said, expected the highest standards from its judges and magistrates.

Earlier this afternoon, Dr Muscat said that Mr Justice Pace’s position was untenable because he was being charged with a crime.

Asked what action should be taken to remove him from the Bench, he said that he hoped good sense would prevail.

This case, Dr Muscat said, angered him. It showed the urgent need for a review and reform of the judicial sector, including the way how members of the judiciary were nominated and operated.

A Labour government would appoint experienced people to carry out such a review.

Their recommendations would be subject to public consultation. The reform would be carried out by the end of next year.

When it was pointed out that Mr Justice Pace was appointed by a Labour government, Dr Muscat said that decision was as good or as bad as the nomination of Chief Justice Noel Arrigo by the Fenech Adami government. There was need for a new, more modern system of how judges were nominated.

JUDGE FARRUGIA SACCO

Meanwhile, in comments to The Times, Dr Gonzi also reiterated his view that Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco should resign over the Olympics tickets case and the comments of the ethics watchdog of the International Olympic Committee.

Asked to react to the comments made by Justice Farrugia Sacco made following the call for his resignation, the Prime Minister said that such comments confirmed that his position was untenable.

“Comments like those are not acceptable from any member of the judiciary,” Dr Gonzi said.

In comments he gave to The Times last Sunday, Justice Farrugia Sacco said that the PM “was trying to be funny” by calling for his resignation.

The Prime Minister warned that if he did not offer his resignation, he would also present an impeachment motion against Justice Farrugia Sacco.

Dr Muscat said earlier this week that Labour would respect recommendations by the Commission for the Administration of Justice on this case.