Amendments addressing court delays ‘at advanced stage’ – Chamber of Advocates
Long-awaited legal amendments that address court delays by shortening the cumbersome compilation of evidence process have reached “an advanced stage”, according to the Chamber of Advocates. The amendments are currently being discussed by the government and the Law Commission. Last year, then justice minister Edward Zammit Lewis said the government was considering speeding up criminal proceedings by removing the requirement of a long-winded compilation of evidence stage for certain cases. Sources said the amendments being discussed do not do away with the stage completely but eliminate parts of the process that lead to unnecessary delays. In July last year, a European Commission rule of law report found that lengthy court proceedings remain a serious concern in Malta. The previous year, a European Union report showed that criminal cases take 298 days, more than double the EU median of 122 days. Second-instance criminal cases take 534 days compared to the 104-day average, five times the length of time. In a recent case, Times of Malta reported how a man who was savagely attacked two years ago is still living in fear. His alleged aggressor – who had been granted bail – was...