د . إAEDSRر . س

80 Jury Trials Pending In Malta, Some Going As Far Back As 2008 

Article Featured Image

There are 80 jury trials pending in Malta’s courts, with some going as far back as 2008, giving a worrying indication of Malta’s never-ending problems with delays in the legal system.

Justice Minister Jonathan Attard confirmed the figure following a parliamentary question from MP Karol Aquilina. 

Attard said that only 8 of the 80 pending cases had been scheduled for a trial, while seven others are awaiting their date.

Every other case is still stuck in limbo for a variety of reasons, such as constitutional proceedings or delays in the preliminary objections stage.

The longest-standing delayed case dates back to 25th February 2008. Back then, Lawrence Gonzi was soon to been elected Prime Minister, while little to no one knew the name Joseph Muscat.

However, there are another three cases that go back to 2008, while there are others recorded in every single year from 2008 to 2022.

A case is considered to be set for a jury trial once a bill of indictment is issued by the Attorney General.

Delays in Malta’s courts are a major issue plaguing the country. While figures for the length of criminal cases are not immediately available, a 2020 EU study of Malta’s courts found that its delays are some of the longest in Europe.

It takes an average of 2,250 days to resolve a money laundering case, 1,100 days to resolve a civil suit if it goes to appeal, and 1,000 days for administrative matters. In each instance, Malta tops the list by some margin.

Some compilations of evidence in criminal cases take decades, with Lovin Malta reporting extensively the case of Mason Nehls, the youth who has been waiting 11 years for his case to be heard in court, and Chris Bartolo.

Delays should not be a major surprise, with lawyers regularly deferring cases and creating significant backlogs in Malta’s courts. Meanwhile, human resources remain worryingly low with Malta having some of the lowest number of judges per 100,000 inhabitants, despite having one of the largest number of lawyers per 100,000 inhabitants.

What is wrong with Malta’s court system?

READ NEXT: Budget Airline Wizz Air To Set Up Subsidiary Airline In Malta

Julian is the former editor of Lovin Malta and has a particular interest in politics, the environment, social issues, and human interest stories.

You may also love

View All