Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri this morning described the President and his wife as a symbol of unity but then told him “I wish I could have said the same for the judiciary”.
The chief justice was leading the judiciary in the exchange of New Year greetings with the President.
He said that a number of allegations were made at the end of the year that tarnished the reputation of the judiciary but the vast majority had integrity.
The Chief Justice said that members of the judiciary had to aim for the highest level of ethical behaviour and not the lowest.
He admitted that what he said might not be convincing but insisted that the judiciary had to constantly win people’s trust by their action
“By time I hope the judiciary can convince people of its integrity,” he said.
He repeated his message when the judiciary called to convey their greetings on the Archbishop.
Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri said that the judiciary was under siege from all angles.
"The situation worries us too, not just the public. We know that anything that taints one member affects all of us, and people rightly expect a lot from judiciary.
"Whatever I say today will seem lacking in credibility, but I remain convinced most of judiciary is honest and hard to working and works well.
"Now we must rebuild the people's trust... The church and judiciary have both gone through some tough times, we both have felt insulted and perhaps betrayed," he said.
President Abela, pointing at the members of the judiciary present, said that their behaviour had to be beyond reproach.
“It is not just about the method of choosing magistrates and judges but about the inherent qualities of the people. It is about what they ought not to do.”
Dr Abela said he had full trust in the judiciary and said it was an essential organ in a democratic state.
Turning to the media, he said, members of the judiciary suffered a lot in silence and the press to be careful not to assist to further erode the people’s trust in the institution.
On the Commission for the Administration of Justice he reiterated his message that silence did not necessarily mean that work was not being done.
He disagreed with veil of silence which was mandatory by all but said that the process had to take its course and confidentiality had to be respected.