Former Chief Justice appointed Ombudsman

The House of Representatives last night unanimously approved the appointment of former Chief Justice Joseph Said Pullicino as Ombudsman.

His appointment in terms of the Constitution needed the backing of two-thirds of the members of the House.

Agreement on the nomination was announced earlier in the day by the government following a Cabinet meeting.

It was also announced that former Cabinet Secretary Joe Scicluna will become chairman of the Broadcasting Authority, a post occupied by Judge Said Pullicino up to a few months ago, while Edward Gatt, former Director of Social Security, will become Principal Electoral Officer and chairman of the Electoral Commission, succeeding Anthony Degabriele.

The two posts are also being filled in agreement with the Opposition, although that is not a constitutional requirement.

Prof. Said Pullicino, who takes office on January 1, succeeds Joe Sammut, the first Ombudsman, who served two five-year terms.

The motion for his appointment was moved by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and seconded by Opposition Leader Alfred Sant.

In his speech Dr Gonzi expressed appreciation for the work done by outgoing Ombudsman Joe Sammut, who had helped to set up the institution and enable it to establish itself. He praised Mr Sammut for his dedication and commitment. The institution of the Ombudsman was giving a service to the country and holding government departments accountable for their actions.

Dr Gonzi said efforts had been made by the government and the opposition to agree on a new Ombudsman before Mr Sammut's term expired, but that had not been possible.

The final agreement was reached yesterday morning when it was decided that Prof. Said Pullicino would be nominated for the post.

Dr Pullicino had already served the country as judge and Chief Justice as well as chairman of the Broadcasting Authority. His attributes were well known and he was therefore confident that he was well suited for his new role.

Opposition leader Alfred Sant also praised Mr Sammut for his long service to the country as a committed civil servant, ambassador and then as Ombudsman. He was a public officer who was loyal to different administrations and earned their respect. The confidence which the House had shown in Mr Sammut when it appointed him Ombudsman had proved justified. The way he had led the institution and the way he had handled the delicate cases before him was praiseworthy. He had also created one of the best-run institutions which always respected its budgets even as its output continued to improve.

Mr Sammut had kept a steady course even in the turbulence caused when some of his views led the former Prime Minister to express his displeasure. He had also rightly criticised both sides of the House for not giving enough importance to his reports. Indeed, perhaps it would be a good idea for a House sitting to be allocated for a debate on such reports.

Dr Sant also expressed his regret that the consultations had taken so long, having started in March. He would not give any explanations in order not to create controversies, he said, but it was not right that while one made a conciliatory speech in the House, the media was used to create controversy. If pushed, he would give his own explanations, Dr Sant said.

The Opposition leader said Prof. Said Pullicino was certainly a good choice for the post of Ombudsman, especially in view of his excellent service on the Bench and then as chairman of the Broadcasting Authority.

Dr Sant said he had had initial reservations when his appointment to the authority was first made, but his actions as chairman led him to change his mind, even though one could not agree on everything. This was therefore a good appointment, with some delay also having been caused because he had been reluctant to see Prof. Said Pullicino relinquish his post at the authority.

He was confident that as Ombudsman, Prof. Said Pullicino would keep up the momentum which the institution had gained, making it the most respected institution in Malta.

The Speaker, Anton Tabone, also praised and thanked Mr Sammut, who as Ombudsman was an officer of Parliament. He also expressed his best wishes to Prof. Said Pullicino.

The motion was then approved by all 58 MPs present.

The House then rose for the Christmas recess and meets again on January 9.

Dr Joseph Said Pullicino was appointed Judge in November 1990 and Chief Justice in 1995. He retired from the bench in January 2002 and became chairman of the Broadcasting Authority in April of that year.

Joseph Scicluna is a career public officer who joined the public service in 1970. He held a number of senior positions in the public service, including those of director-general of the Management and Personnel Office, permanent secretary in the Ministry for Social Policy and permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance. He was appointed secretary to the Cabinet in June 2003.

Edward R. Gatt joined the civil service in 1964 and was attached to the Department of Social Services. He was appointed administrative officer in 1974 and in 1978 was made responsible for the introduction of the two-thirds pension scheme in Malta. Mr Gatt became assistant director of Social Services in 1982 and director of Social Security in 1995. In June last year Mr Gatt was appointed director-general in charge of EU and International Affairs at the Ministry for the Family and Social Solidarity.