Just five cases older than five years remain before the Court of criminal appeal, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici told parliament this evening.

Dr Bonnici said the situation was not acceptable and that he had talks with the Chief Justice and told him that the government was ready to change the Constitution to have speedier decisions.

The minister was answering a question by Edwin Vassallo (PN) who asked how many cases were before the Court of Criminal Appeal and the Court of Civil Appeal older than three, four, five, seven years or more.

Dr Bonnici also said that there were 129 pending civil libel cases, some of which had been pending for years. He noted that a proposed new Media Bill included alternative settlement methods such as mediation and out-of-court settlements.