Watch: Franco Debono – ‘Silvio Camilleri Symbolises Dark Ages For Rule Of Law’
Franco Debono warned that former Chief Justices Silvio Camilleri and Joseph Said Pullicino are products of the “Dark Ages for the rule of law in Malta”.
After the two former Chief Justices criticised the government’s plan to reform magisterial inquires, Debono urged people to remember how they were appointed to the job in the first place.
“They were handpicked by the government of the day, and Silvio Camilleri was appointed Chief Justice directly from his previous role as Attorney General, bypassing all other judges in the process.”
“Imagine the protests that would erupt today if the government had to handpick the Attorney General as Chief Justice.”
He also noted that, when Camilleri was Attorney General, he also served as government consultant, presenting a conflict of interest if he ever had to prosecute government politicians.
“Listening to these people speak out amazes me because they symbolise the Dark Ages for the rule of law in the justice sector. The way judges are appointed is one of the most crucial aspects of the rule of law. At the time, no matter how qualified or capable you were, becoming a judge depended entirely on staying in the minister’s good graces.”
“If the minister didn’t like you, you had no chance of becoming a judge. We’re not talking about 100 years ago, but 10-15 years ago.”
As a PN MP, Debono had proposed a revamp in the judicial appointment system as part of a wide-ranging judicial reform. His proposal, for potential judges and magistrates to apply for the job and get reviewed by a judicial appointments committee, was eventually implemented by the PL government.
The Attorney General’s role was also split into two separate roles – public prosecutor and State Advocate.
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