A commission tasked with reforming Malta’s court system will be announced today, the Prime Minister said yesterday.

Joseph Muscat told a Labour Party activity in Sannat that he would be shedding light on the commission’s composition today. During the electoral campaign the PL had pledged to reform the court system by the end of the year.

The reform is expected to encompass all aspects of the system, from the way in which hearings are scheduled to how judges and magistrates are appointed.

In the campaign Dr Muscat had said that the reform would be spearheaded by an “experienced and well-respected” judicial expert. Although he had declined to mention names, he had hinted that Labour already had somebody in mind for the job.

Yesterday’s Sannat crowd also heard Dr Muscat explain that he would be writing to the Holy See to inform it that laws would be amended to ensure Ecclesiastical Tribunals did not supersede Civil Courts.

“We need this clear separation, to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and unto God that which is God’s,” he said. He thanked Gozitan voters for having elected a record three Labour candidates, saying this success brought with it greater responsibility. He mentioned some of the party’s Gozo-specific proposals, and told the crowd that his Government would not be a divisive one.

The PL would continue to evolve, he said, when it would open itself up to new members during its next General Conference, scheduled to take place in late April.