Victoria Scicluna will be the first justice commissioner to preside over drug possession cases.

A community worker at Sedqa, Victoria Scicluna, will be the first justice commissioner to preside over drug possession cases when the legal reform being debated in Parliament is approved, Times of Malta has learnt.

The appointment of Ms Scicluna, 56, was confirmed by Justice Ministry sources.

Despite not having a legal background, Ms Scicluna has worked as a drugs community officer with the State rehabilitation agency for the past 12 years. She also assisted families during drugs cases and worked closely with probation officers, drafting care plans for sentenced drug users and those granted bail.

Ms Scicluna is a member of the Prison Addiction Rehabilitation Management Board and of the National Commission on the Abuse of Drugs, Alcohol and other Dependencies.

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici told Times of Malta last month the justice commissioner post would be filled by someone with “hands-on” knowledge in the field of drug care to put rehabilitation at the core of the legal reform.

Parliament has approved the Drug Dependence (Treatment Not Imprisonment) Bill in second reading; it will now go through the committee stage before being given a third and final reading. Dr Bonnici has shot down scepticism that the reform was “too liberal”.

The post would be filled by someone with hands-on knowledge in the field of drug care

The review will see Ms Scicluna head a specialised drug court that will hand down administrative fines of between €75 and €100 for simple drug possession. In the case of cannabis, the fine will range between €50 and €100.

Drugs court sittings dealing with simple possession cases will be held at the Valletta law courts.

Repeat offenders will then appear before a Drug Offenders Rehabilitation Board, made up of retired judges, psychologists, social workers and police officers. This board sets rehabilitation conditions, which, if broken, constitute a criminal offence.