Suspects of a crime now have the right to the disclosure of all relevant information in possession or control of investigators, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said yesterday.

In a statement, Dr Bonnici said that under this new right, being introduced through a legal notice, suspects or people accused of a crime would have access to information related to their criminal proceedings.

Through this, the accused would be in a better position to challenge the legitimacy of their arrest or detention and have access to all evidence available to the police.

He said the new provision would ensure fair proceedings and allow the accused to better prepare their defence.

Moreover, this new right will result in faster and more efficient criminal proceedings.

He said that in November 2009, the EU introduced a directive regarding a plan to strengthen procedural rights of suspects or people accused of a crime, which include the right to information.

More amendments giving suspects new rights would be published in the coming months, he said.