Franco Debono: 'Incompetent' justice ministry official to blame for court delays
A leading criminal lawyer has blamed an “incompetent and arrogant” civil servant for the lack of support staff in Malta’s court system. In a blistering Facebook post, lawyer Franco Debono singled out permanent secretary Johann Galea for criticism, saying Galea’s failings were reflecting poorly on judges and magistrates. “The truth is that many judges and magistrates are extremely efficient, but they face obstacles due to a lack of staff and resources,” Debono said, noting that a magistrate had made a similar point in open court on Monday. Malta has some of the longest court delays in Europe, with cases often taking several years to end. The issue returned to prominence last week, when it emerged that a woman had filed domestic violence charges against her estranged husband, but that the case had been put off for 18 months. The woman was murdered last week. Justice Minister Jonathan Attard has acknowledged the court delay problem, telling parliament last May that slashing waiting times is “a priority”. Since then, the government has also issued a public call to appoint new judges and magistrates. In his Facebook post, Debono said that ensuring adequate staffing levels was...