Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1526771
4 NEWS 4 NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 18 SEPTEMBER 2024 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 He will be replacing Ramona Frendo, who will now serve as judge at the European Court of Justice. MaltaToday had revealed in June the former justice minis- ter was government's preferred choice despite issuing an open call for the vacancy. Applicants for the post included four other lawyers – Jacques René Zam- mit, David Ciliberti, Rashida Sheikh and Veronique Dalli. They were interviewed viva voce in Malta by a committee set up by the Justice Minister. NGO Repubblika had object- ed to Zammit Lewis's nomina- tion when the information first leaked and had also written to the Comite 255 panel with its concerns. The NGO said Zammit Lewis would tarnish the reputation of the European Court as a result of his proximity to Yor- gen Fenech, the man awaiting trial for allegedly mastermind- ing Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder. Justice Minister Jonathan At- tard had described the NGO's reaction as a "thinly-veiled per- sonal attack". The Comite 255 panel is com- posed of seven persons chosen from among former members of the Court of Justice and the General Court of the European Union, members of national Supreme Courts and jurists of recognised competence, one of whom is proposed by the Euro- pean Parliament. Who is Zammit Lewis? Zammit Lewis served as jus- tice minister until February 2022 when parliament was dissolved. He had been instru- mental in implementing several recommendations for constitu- tional and judicial reform made by the Venice Commission. However, he was omitted from Cabinet after the election held in March 2022, which re- turned a Labour government. He currently serves as chair- person of parliament's Foreign and European Affairs Commit- tee. Zammit Lewis is a lawyer by profession, having practised in the civil, commercial, ad- ministrative and constitutional fields. His eventual departure will require a casual election on the 8th District, although the source said Robert Abela is likely to go down the route of co-option. Since 2013, Zammit Lewis served as minister in various portfolios, including tourism, European affairs and equality. Zammit Lewis came under fire prior to 2022 after his closeness to Yorgen Fenech, the businessman accused of masterminding the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder, was exposed in a cache of leaked WhatsApp chats. The conversations had taken place before Fenech's involve- ment in the murder was pub- licly known. But Zammit Lewis was also in the line of fire for disparag- ingly describing Labour vot- ers as 'Ġaħan' in one of the WhatsApp conversations. He later apologised for the remark. What EU judges do Malta gets to nominate two judges to the EU's General Court. The outgoing Frendo took up her post at the General Court in 2019 and was earlier this year approved by a panel of judges to serve as a judge at the ECJ, succeeding Judge Peter G. Xuereb. Malta's other nominee at the General Court is Eugene Butti- gieg, who was appointed judge in 2012 and whose current term ends next year. Judges on the General Court are appointed for a renewable term of six years. A judge at the European Court of Justice interprets and applies EU law to ensure its consistent implementation across mem- ber states. They handle cases involving disputes between EU institu- tions, member states, business- es, and individuals, and provide preliminary rulings when na- tional courts seek clarification on EU law. Judges also review the legal- ity of acts by EU institutions and can impose penalties for non-compliance, thereby play- ing a crucial role in maintain- ing the rule of law within the EU. Zammit Lewis to be grilled by experts in October The government has nominated Edward Zammit Lewis for judge on the General Court of the EU and the former minister will now be grilled by a panel of experts in Luxembourg on 11 October Edward Zammit Lewis FOREIGNERS applying for a residency permit in Malta will have to present a lease agree- ment attestation form starting from Monday 23 September, if the application involves a new lease. A foreigner renewing their residency permit with the same lease agreement will not have to present this lease attes- tation form. According to Identità, the lease attestation form will serve to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the informa- tion provided by the agency while preventing abuse. The identity agency an- nounced this new measure last month, but gave applicants a day's notice to start filling in this new form. The measure prompted Malta's Notarial Council and Chamber of Advocates to issue directives advising notaries and lawyers not to sign or fill in the new form. This new practice was intro- duced by Identità in the mid- dle of a scandal involving ID cards and residence permits is- sued on the basis of fraudulent documents. Identità moves ahead with controversial lease attestation form