The Commission for the Administration of Justice is still some way off reaching a conclusion on the actions of Magistrate Carol Peralta more than a year after he organised a courtroom party and asked police to take action against a journalist.

Sources close to the judiciary’s watchdog, chaired by the President of Malta, told this newspaper that although the Commission had held a number of sessions during the past 12 months to discuss the case, “a conclusion is still some way off as it has not even yet started hearing Dr Peralta’s defence.”

The sources said that another Commission session was now scheduled for mid-January when more witnesses will be heard.

However, the sources said that the most the Commission could do was reprimand the magistrate, as Justice Minister Owen Bonnici had not presented an impeachment motion for Dr Peralta’s removal but merely requested an investigation. The probe started in December 2013 following an unauthorised Christmas party thrown by Magistrate Peralta in a courtroom. During the party, Dr Peralta was smoking inside the chamber – something which in itself is not permitted.

When a Times of Malta reporter, Ivan Martin, went to the courtroom to look into the matter, the magistrate asked the police to take action against him.

Magistrate’s Peralta’s actions drew immediate condemnation from the authorities, with Justice Minister Owen Bonnici calling Dr Peralta’s actions “illegal and abusive”.

Dr Bonnici wrote to the Commission, asking it to act with urgency and “take all the steps it deems fit”.

However, because no impeachment motion was moved, the most the Commission can do is issue a warning.

The only way a member of the judiciary can be removed from the Bench is through a motion in Parliament that receives the backing of two-thirds of members.

The Nationalist Party had also condemned the magistrate’s behaviour and called for his resignation.

Dr Peralta is the most senior magistrate on the Bench with 24 years’ experience.

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