Madam Justice Miriam Hayman used her inaugural speech to call for better conditions for members of the judiciary, describing their retirement pension as “pathetic and humiliating”.

In her first address as judge, she kept up her reputable no-nonsense approach as a magistrate for 17 years to highlight the sacrifices made by judges and magistrates, including long hours of research, working from home and security issues, all of which, she said, were not reflected in the remuneration they received.

She questioned how retired members of the judiciary were expected to live on a pension of just €900 a month.

“Had this not been a pathetic and humiliating reality, it would have been hilarious, if not surreal.

“Why does someone who dedicated his life and sacrificed his family end up living in this almost ridiculous situation when considering other financial packages received by others? Should retired members of the judiciary look at their retirement as a time of worries and tension instead of a time to relax and reap the benefits of what would have been sowed throughout their working life,” she asked.

Her audience included President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici, the shadow ministers for justice and home affairs Jason Azzopardi and Beppe Fenech Adami, and various members of the judiciary, led by Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri.

Attorney General Peter Grech and retired members of the judiciary, including judges Lino Farrugia Sacco, Michael Mallia and Lawrence Quintano, were also present in the packed courtroom.

Madam Justice Hayman harshly criticised not only the judiciary’s working conditions but also the lack of staff and proper training, pointing out that retired judges ought to be used as mentors for their successors.

She had harsh words for legal aid lawyers who, she said, were not serving their clients in the best way possible and, sometimes, failed to appear in court to defend them, even when these were still under preventive arrest.

“This attitude needs to change because it does not honour the legal profession,” she said.

Had this not been a pathetic and humiliating reality, it [pension] would have been hilarious, if not surreal

Having presided, in the main part, over drugs cases in her years as magistrate, Madam Justice Hayman spoke about the need to beef up the police drug squad and expressed regret that Assistant Police Commissioner Norbert Ciappara, who she said led the squad superbly over the years, was leaving the force.

The judge noted that reforms were badly needed to change the mandatory jail sentence for drug trafficking by sharing.

“I am in no way condoning the acts but why should someone who buys drugs to share with friends, sometimes without any remuneration, face mandatory jail?”

She questioned whether people facing drug charges should still go to prison despite changing their ways in the years until judgment was pronounced.

“A prison sentence in these circumstances will only be detrimental to the person. I faced circumstances where, despite a recommendation by the probation officer against a jail sentence [in view of progress], I had no option but to send the person to jail.”

George Hyzler, president of the Chamber of Advocates, who spoke before her, did not mince words in criticising the way new judges and magistrates were being appointed.

The administration must distance itself from the judiciary, he said, adding that this was healthy for democracy and also served to increase the people’s “much-needed” trust in the judicial system.

“We believe that judges and magistrates should be appointed by the Commission for the Administration of Justice following an open and transparent process. It is not in the interest of the judiciary that a single member of the judiciary is labelled, especially politically, when this could impinge on his impartiality and independence,” Dr Hyzler said, wondering why it was taking so long to implement such a change.