A culture change is needed to counter the Maltese 'fighting mentality' and embrace legal mediation, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said this evening.

Addressing a public consultation on the Budget, Dr Bonnici said that per capita, Malta had triple the number of court cases filed in countries three times its size.

"As a people, we tend to fight and argue more than others. We have yet to fully embrace the culture of mediation which could help resolve many cases before reaching court," he said as he fielded a series of questions on court delays from irate members of the public.

Dr Bonnici said the island needed a larger judiciary but lacked the necessary space. More legal assistants were also needed to facilitate the large amount of work facing the judiciary.

Replying to a question by someone who claimed to have waited several years for a court decision, Dr Bonnici said he was working towards a system whereby judges and magistrates could hand down a judgement even if a party was not present. The proposal, he said, would be debated in Parliament as soon as the Opposition got onboard with the idea.

On V18, Dr Bonnici said Valletta's international profile rivalled that of the whole island.

Asked by a concerned parent whether the drug reform would encourage youths to experiment with drugs, Dr Bonnici said that while the review would bring the laws in line with the reality of modern day drug use, it would also have a strong focus on education and public outreach.