Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1276949
JAMES DEBONO THE percentage of Maltese peo- ple who hold a negative opinion on the independence of courts and judges has shot up by six points since January 2017 but 52% still expressed positive views on the independence of the Maltese justice system, de- scribing it as 'very good' or 'fairly good' when asked to rate it. This emerges from a Euroba- rometer survey conducted in March. The survey suggests that de- spite reforms in judicial ap- pointments limiting govern- ment's direct interference in judicial appointments, trust in the justice system has been on the decline in the aftermath of the murder of Daphne Carua- na Galizia and legal wrangling over magisterial investigations on the Panama Papers scandal, which have so far not led to any arraignments in court. When asked to rate the justice system in terms of the inde- pendence of courts and judges, 52% of the Maltese described it as very good or fairly good while only 31% described it as very bad or fairly bad. But while positive assess- ments declined by four points, negative assessments increased by six points over 2017. Lack of trust in the independ- ence of judges is even higher within the business communi- ty, which was assessed in a sep- arate survey conducted among 200 Maltese companies. When asked the same ques- tion, 36% of Maltese compa- nies gave a negative rating to the independence of the justice system, an increase of seven points over 2019. Small businesses employing less than 10 people where the most distrustful of judicial in- dependence. While over 90% of those em- ploying more than 50 people gave a positive rating to the justice system's independence, the percentage falls to just 45% among those employing less than 10 people. Moreover, among respond- ents who rated the independ- ence of the Maltese justice system negatively, the number who tie this to interference or pressure from government and politicians has shot up by 9 points over 2017. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt 6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 AUGUST 2020 NEWS Justice barometer Top five who rate justice system 'very good' and 'fairly good' Denmark 86% Finland 84% Sweden 81% Netherlands 77% Germany 76% Top five who rate justice system 'fairly bad' and 'bad' Croatia 68% Slovakia 64% Poland 55% Italy 54% Spain 49% Positive and negative views on judges' independence Malta EU Positive views 52% 56% Negative views 31% 33% Don't know 17% 11% 52% hold positive view on independence of Maltese judges But percentage of those who hold a negative view on judges' independence up by 6 points since 2017 By means of an application filed in the Civil Court of Voluntary Jurisdiction Section, on the 6th June 2020, Application number 337/2020 by Grace Gerada et whereby they requested that it wiII be declared open in favour of Grace Gerada, Frances Agius and Dolores Galea sisters of the decujus in the quota of one third (1/3) undivided share each one of them the SUCCESSION of their sister Maria Assunta Agius, unmarried, daughter of the late Gio Maria Agius and Paola Agius nee Galea, born in Saint Paul's Bay and resided in Saint Paul's Bay and died in tal-Qroqq, Msida, Malta on the 11th January 2019 aged 63 and who held identity card number 575655(M). Wherefore any person who believes to have an interest in the matter is hereby called upon to appear before the said Court and to bring forward his objections hereto by a minute to be filed within fifteen days from the posting of the banns and notices according to law. Registry of the Civil Court Voluntary Jurisdiction Section Today 17th July 2020 Alexandra Debattista For the Registrar Civil Court and Tribunals Lack of trust in the independence of judges is even higher within the business community, which was assessed in a separate survey conducted among 200 Maltese companies