Judge Toni Abela has been assigned work on pending civil cases. Photo: Mark Zammit CordinaJudge Toni Abela has been assigned work on pending civil cases. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Former Labour Party deputy leader Toni Abela, appointed judge by the government last November, can finally start his job on the bench, the Times of Malta is informed.

Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri has decided that Mr Justice Abela, three months since taking his oath, is to work on a number of cases to relieve the burden of a long backlog facing Mr Justice Joseph Micallef. He has been singled out as the judge with the longest list of pending cases.

According to statistics obtained by this newspaper, Mr Justice Micallef had 616 pending cases at the end of last year.

The Chief Justice has decided that Mr Justice Micallef is to stop hearing new cases in order to concentrate on his backlog.

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In the meantime, Mr Justice Abela will step into Mr Justice Micallef’s shoes by handling all new cases at the first hall of the civil court. Mr Justice Abela has also been assigned work on a number of pending civil cases currently before other members of the judiciary.

According to the Chief Justice, the only exception in Mr Justice Abela’s case is that he will not hear cases of a constitutional nature, as these will continue to be heard by Mr Justice Micallef.

Mr Justice Micallef had 616 pending cases at the end of last year

Court sources said yesterday it was evident that Mr Justice Micallef could not cope with his workload and Mr Justice Abela was being brought in to relieve the burden.

The controversial appointment of the former Labour deputy leader as judge was made following the green light obtained by a Judicial Appointments Committee – a new set-up established last summer.

Together with Grezzju Mercieca, a former Labour president of the Gozo section now appointed magistrate, Mr Justice Abela was the first to apply under the new provisions.

Just a few months earlier, Mr Justice Abela failed to get the European Parliament’s approval of his nomination by the Prime Minister to serve on the European Court of Auditors. He was replaced by former minister Leo Brincat.

The Judicial Appointments Committee’s remit is only to make recommendations regarding an applicant’s fitness to become a judge. The final decision on who to appoint lies with the government.

While approving both Dr Abela and Dr Mercieca, the same committee turned down the nomination of Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera. Her nomination was proposed by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.

The committee told Dr Bonnici that Magistrate Scerri Herrera was unfit for promotion due to her breach of the judiciary’s code of ethics, particularly through her unbecoming conduct in her private life.

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