Council of Europe rapporteur Pieter Omtzigt, tasked with looking into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and the state of the rule of law in Malta, will be “closely following” the Venice Commission report.
The body, made up of world-respected constitutional experts, recommended in a 29-page report on Monday that Malta’s Constitution should be updated to improve practices of checks and balances. The opinion also included calls for the position of the President to be bolstered and for Parliament rules on conflicts of incompatibility to be tightened.
The Dutch MP said the Venice Commission’s work would provide “valuable input” for the report that he was compiling on the assassination of Ms Caruana Galizia and the rule of law on the island.
The Commission’s full opinion on Malta’s rule of law would serve as a point of reference
Mr Omtzigt, who was in Malta in October on a three-day mission as part of his investigation, during which he met with the top authorities, added he would “closely follow” the reply of the Maltese government.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said in a recorded video message on Monday the Commission’s full opinion on Malta’s rule of law would serve as a “point of reference” for the planned Constitutional Convention. Welcoming the report, he said a steering committee in charge of coordinating the update to the Constitution would be handling the report.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister pledged that his government would implement the recommendations made.
The Venice Commission opinion came after a call by the Council of Europe’s Legal Affairs Committee in October, followed by a similar request by the government a few days later.
At the time, the Prime Minister told members of international press freedom and freedom of expression NGOs the government was first to request such an opinion. According to the Venice Commission’s report, the Legal Affairs Committee requested the opinion on October 10. A similar request from the government of Malta was received a few days later, on October 13.