Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1501168
11 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 11 JUNE 2023 Justice Minister laments committee's lack of urgency to solve lawyer warrants test impasse Jerome Caruana Cilia tops list for most PQs asked by Opposition KURT SANSONE THE Justice Minister has lam- basted a committee headed by former chief justice Silvio Camilleri for procrastinating despite a solution in sight for graduate lawyers to receive their warrant. Jonathan Attard told Malta- Today that following the inter- vention of the Commission for the Administration of Justice, a constitutional body respon- sible for the Committee for Advocates and Legal Procura- tors, a solution to the impasse regarding a 'fit and proper' test was found. However, more than 100 law- yer and legal procurator grad- uates remain in limbo unable to obtain their warrant to prac- tice law since the committee is dragging its feet. "Regrettably, it appears that some parties are failing to rec- ognize the gravity of this situ- ation and are not addressing it with the necessary urgency. It is imperative that we take immediate action without any unnecessary delay," Attard told MaltaToday. The issue revolves around a new 'fit and proper' test re- quired by law, which was pro- posed by the committee last year. Attard, who by law has to endorse the test, had refused to do so because some of the questions were invasive. The test included questions about students' mental and physical health, their disabili- ties, previous drug or gambling addictions and even where they went to secondary school. On 12 May this year, Attard wrote to President George Vel- la who heads the CAJ asking for a resolution to the matter. The CAJ sent a revised 'fit and proper' guidelines and questionnaire on 29 May in an attempt to find a compromise solution between the commit- tee and the Justice Ministry. "The ministry duly recog- nized and appreciated the in- tervention of the Commission in resolving the impasse. We welcomed the revised guide- lines and questionnaire, and agreed to them within 24 hours of receiving them," Attard said. However, two weeks after the minister agreed to the re- vised test, the committee has failed to endorse the proposed changes. "As I have already expressed myself in parliament, I am con- cerned about the predicament faced by the 105 legal profes- sionals awaiting the warrant. As a ministry, we promptly re- sponded to the commission's proposals and we are commit- ted to continue doing so," At- tard said. He also pledged to engage further in comprehensive dis- cussions on the subject once the impasse has been success- fully resolved. "This is with a view to strengthening the warranting process of legal professionals and preferably also to provide the necessary mechanisms to unblock any unforeseen is- sues," he added. Justice Minister Jonathan Attard (left)and former chief justice Silvio Camilleri (right) who heads the Committee for Advocates and Legal Procurators, which falls under the purview of the Commission for the Administration of Justice KARL AZZOPARDI THE Nationalist MP Jerome Caruana Cilia has topped the list for most parliamentary questions asked by an Opposi- tion MP since the start of the legislature in 2022. The former Qormi councillor asked 659 questions up until the last parliamentary sitting last Tuesday. He was followed by Opposi- tion MPs Graziella Galea with 654 parliamentary questions, Mosta MP Ivan Bartolo with 650, Chris Said at 591 and Clau- dette Buttigieg at 520. Every member of parliament is entitled to put not more than six questions for oral answers for one sitting, provided that at least three days' notice is given. A member may also submit questions for written answers. The three-day time frame gov- erning the former type of ques- tions does not apply to ques- tions submitted for written replies. It is customary for the Oppo- sition leader not to ask parlia- mentary questions, and it seems Bernard Grech has followed in the same vein. On the other side of the House, former minister Carmelo Abela topped the list for most parlia- mentary questions asked from the government benches, with 123 questions. Glenn Bedingfield ranked sec- ond with 94 questions, followed by Chris Agius at 86, Katya de Giovanni at 34 and Naomi Cachia at 24. Independent MP Rosianne Cutajar, who was forced to re- sign from Labour's parliamenta- ry group earlier this year, asked 96 parliamentary questions. The late Robert Arrigo had asked six PQs, before passing away in October 2022. No PQs were asked by MPs Edward Zammit Lewis, Alex Muscat and Malcom Paul Agius Galea from government's side. On the other hand, from the Opposition side, MP Stephen Spiteri did not ask a single par- liamentary question. Ivan J. Bartolo Davina Sammut Hili Omar Farrugia Abigail Camilleri Randolph Debatista Ray Abela Malcom Paul Agius Alex Muscat Edward Zammit Lewis Albert Buttigieg Stephen Spiteri Julie Zahra Muscat Alex Spiteri Stephen 0 100 200 300 400 500 11 9 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Jerome Caruana Cilia Graziella Galea Ivan Bartolo Chris 659 654 650 Opposition MPs most 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Carmelo Abela Glenn Beding¦eld Chris Agius Katya 123 94 86 Government MPs most Rebekah Borg Adrian Delia Mario De Marco Katya De Giovanni Eve Borg Bonello Naomi Cachia Amanda Spiteri Grech Deo Debatista Romilda Zarb Cressida Galea Ivan J. Bartolo Davina Sammut Hili Omar Farrugia Abigail Camilleri Randolph Debatista Ray Abela Malcom Paul Agius Alex Muscat Edward Zammit Lewis Albert Buttigieg Stephen Spiteri Julie Zahra Muscat Alex Spiteri Stephen 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 54 41 39 34 29 24 24 18 13 11 11 9 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 Jerome Caruana Cilia Graziella Galea Ivan Bartolo Chris Said Claudette Buttigieg 659 654 650 591 520 Opposition MPs most PQs Government MPs most PQs Opposition MPs who asked the most PQs Government MPs who asked the most PQs