Malta’s courts are plagued with backlogs and delays, and new figures on magisterial inquiries show that, if one had been concluded every single day, it would still take around five years to deal with the current load.

New data published by Justice Minister Jonathan Attard show that in 2023, there are nearly 1,700 pending inquiries, with the oldest one dating back 44 years to 1979.

Tabled by Nationalist MP Jerome Caruana Cilia, the table shows that out of the 1,698 currently pending inquiries, 2022 saw a spike in numbers, with 574 opened that year.

That is more than the inquiries pending from 2012 until 2019 combined.

Delays from Malta’s courts are a major issue, and often mean inquiries can take years to complete. The public often takes the brunt of the consequences, suffering fatigue trying to keep up with the new scandals that emerge each year in Malta.

It comes as no surprise when, according to 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.