In his first sitting as a judge, Mr Justice Wenzu Mintoff called for uniformity in sentencing and made a case for people to be told in layman's terms what was going on.

He said the language used in court was difficult for people to understand and it thus had to be the judge to explain it to the people.

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Moreover, there was also the need of a sentencing policy so that people understood why and how certain decisions were taken.

The new judge criticised the media for its "sensational" reporting of court cases which was "fanned" by the social media, but said the judiciary needed to follow certain guidelines, especially with regard to sentencing, such as on bail or the ban on the publication of people's names.

"Transparency and uniformity is needed but this does not mean that the discretion of the judge or magistrate will be undermined in any way," he said.

Dignitaries present for his sitting included Acting President Dolores Cristina, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, Attorney General Peter Grech, various members of the judiciary and Mr Justice Mintoff's family.

Mr Justice Mintoff also spoke about how he will now start leading a life of solitude and of how there were times in his past when he had to swim against the current in turbulent waters because he was relying on his conscience. He was obviously referring to the time he left the Malta Labour Party and founded Alternattiva Demokratika.

He promised to continue following his conscience in his decisions.

Mr Justice Mintoff also referred to the length of time it took for court cases to be heard and said he understood that long cases brought about anxiety and suffering. However, one had to keep in mind that there was a caseload and lack of resources.

The vice president of the Chamber of Advocates, Ian Spiteri Bailey, appealed to the judge to ensure impartiality in his decisions. A judge should not consider who stood before him but should decide according to what was right in the eyes of the law, he said.

If the judge was having a bad day, the person before him or the lawyers should not suffer the consequences, he added.

He expressed his conviction that Mr Justice Mintoff would be a good judge.