‘A Danger To Democracy’: Momentum Launches Parliamentary Petition Against Magisterial Inquiry Reform
New political party, Momentum – led by Arnold Cassola, has launched a parliamentary petition against the government’s reform to the law on magisterial inquiries.
This comes after weeks of Prime Minister Robert Abela assuring that a reform on the law of magisterial inquiries, which will make it harder for citizens to request investigations into those in power, is currently underway.
The Prime Minister’s argument is that it is being used as a political weapon against the government by the Opposition Party. However, he overlooks the fact that accepting an investigation request is under the discretion of the magistrate.
The reform led to an outcry by different civil society actors, including political parties, urging for the public to contest this decision to change the law.
ADPD Leader Sandra Gauci said the party is ready to call for an abrogative referendum to annul any laws that protect abuse in the public sector.
Momentum fully supports this initiative and went a step further by launching a parliamentary petition against this reform.
The petition reads as follows:
“On 15 December 2024 Prime Minister Robert Abela ordered the Minister of Justice to reform the current system of magisterial inquiries so that, according to him, citizens do not abuse the system.
This order of the Prime Minister constitutes a danger to democracy in Malta.
The present Police Commissioner has refused to investigate cases of very questionable conduct on the part of politicians several times in the last four and a half years.
The Magisterial Inquiry is therefore the only means that the common citizen has to request an investigation into alleged bad behaviour on the part of politicians.
Therefore we are asking all the Honourable members of this Parliament not to amend this law and to leave it as it is, because otherwise they would be making it more difficult for the citizens to have access to justice.
Maltese citizens are invited to enter the Maltese parliament website to add their signature to this petition, in order to prevent this callous attempt at limiting the possibilities of Maltese citizens to obtain justice and transparency through Ministerial Inquiries.”
The petition must be signed by 20th March, if you’re interested click here.
Will you be signing this parliamentary petition?
READ NEXT: Watch: Illegal Trapper Aggressively Assaults Dog Walker Near Bird Trapping Site
