Mr Justice Philip Sciberras, who is about to retire from the bench, this morning backed calls for the raising of the retirement age for judges. He also called for discipline by all concerned for judgements to be delivered on time, adding that it was a 'scandal in itself' to have exaggerated delays at the law courts.
Mr Justice Sciberras, who presided over his last sitting this morning, was echoing calls for the raising of the retirement age which were also made in the past months by outgoing Chief Justice Vincent de Gaetano and retiring judges Carmel Agius and Joseph Galea Debono.
A spokesman for the Justice Ministry in August had said that the government had no intention of raising the retirement age of judges or the number of years of experience needed to be appointed to the Bench.
“The retirement age for members of the judiciary was revised from 60 to 65 in 2007,” the spokesman said.
Mr Justice Sciberras said that like by colleagues, he was strongly urging the Executive reconsider the inflexible attitude it has adopted, and it should allow judges to continue to work beyond the statutory retirement age of 65.
He said this should be a matter of choice for the judges depending on their personal circumstances, such as their state of health.
He had no doubt, Mr Justice Sciberras said, that judges would know when it was best to retire.
EXAGGERATED DELAYS
Mr Justice Sciberras, who has served on the bench since October 2002, said he had always sought to deliver his judgements on time.
"Every aspiring judge should understand that the people's confidence in the law courts would be lost not only because of some case of corruption of favouritism, but also as a result of laziness, negligence and insensibility," he said.
However good were recent legislative amendments to reduce court delays, Mr Justice Sciberras said that new judges should acknowledge that judges were like members of a team or religious order, where the delays of one member could impact on the confidence shown to all the team.
Mr Justice Sciberras delivered 67 judgements in his final day on the bench today, bringing his total tally to 2,529 judgements.
PARTING SHOT
Mr Justice Sciberras thanked all those who had worked with him, and acknowledged the patience shown by his wife.
In his parting shot he quoted Rabelais, telling his listeners:
"Adieu. Do not remember my defects so much as to forget yours."
The president of the Chamber of Advocates, Dr Andrew Borg Cardona, congratulated the retiring judge for having cleared his caseload and said he would be remembered for his obvious energy, well-known efficiency and love of the law.
The law courts, he said, would miss his talents and his judgements should be studied by law students.
Present and former members of the judiciary and members of the judge's family were present for the final sitting.