The Maltese citizenry seriously lacks confidence in the justice system, according to a Eurobarometer survey.

According to the study, which was conducted in November, just weeks after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the majority of the 503 respondents – 53 per cent – said that they did not trust the judicial and legal system.

Compared to the findings from a similar study held six months earlier, mistrust in the judicial system grew by a staggering 11 percentage points.

The police and the government suffered the same fate, though to a lesser degree.

Fifty-three per cent of respondents said that they trusted the police, a drop of three percentage points. The government’s trust rating stood at 51 per cent, seven points down.

At the same time, 65 per cent of the citizens interviewed said that they did not have any trust in political parties.

When asked to name the most pressing problems facing Malta, 46 per cent mentioned crime – up 26 per cent– followed by immigration and the environment.

The survey indicates that most of the respondents are satisfied with the life they are leading and with the overall economic performance of the country.

Most said they expected things to get better over the next 12 months, both personally and for the country. While 39 per cent expect the economy to grow further, 29 per cent were optimistic about an improvement in their personal finances.

The majority declared that they did not see any benefit accruing from non-Maltese nationals settling on the island. Asked whether they agreed with the statement that migrants were contributing positively to Malta, 59 per cent disagreed.