Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1527188
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 SEPTEMBER 2024 NEWS cated pool of four magistrates focused on inquiries, which is al- ready producing positive results. Looking ahead, we plan to intro- duce further legislative measures in this sector and continue work on a separate building to support this initiative," he said. New Commercial Court, new building Attard added that government will soon propose laws to bolster the specialisation strategy, not only in the Criminal sector but also in Civil Law areas. One of the areas of specialisa- tion recently announced by the Prime Minister was the crea- tion of a specialised Commercial Court which follows on sever- al calls made by international bodies. Such a court would be expected to address issues of a commercial nature such as mer- chant shipping and intellectual property in an expeditious and efficient manner. Attard said a specialised com- mercial court will provide great- er reassurance to foreign inves- tors. "However, this also depends on increasing the efficiency of such a Court and to this end, we aim not only to increase the num- ber of judges presiding over the Commercial Court but also to advance plans for the creation of a new building to house this Court," Attard said. The creation of the new court will be part of the legislative re- form government will be putting forward in parliament. Backlog of cases But Attard was coy when asked whether certain members of the judiciary were to blame for a backlog in cases. "I believe that, for the most part, they carry out their responsibilities with admi- rable commitment. There have been areas where significant pro- gress has been made in reducing backlogs, as noted in the Rule of Law Report. This success is not solely attributable to the politi- cal willingness to amend the law but also to the dedication of the members of the judiciary presid- ing over these sections," he said, while acknowledging that much remains to be done. "I assure everyone that as a government, we are not indif- ferent to these realities and are determined to continue imple- menting reforms for effective and efficient justice," the minis- ter insisted. However, he acknowledged that human resource shortages continue to pose a significant challenge in the justice sector like anywhere else. Attard said the recruitment process remains ongoing. "Over the past decade, the number of employees working in the courts has increased by 45%, and this trend is expected to continue in the future." He said the signing of the first collective agreement for court employees after the last general election was "instrumental" in attracting more individuals to the sector. "We are now looking forward to the upcoming discus- sions regarding a new collective agreement. A collective agree- ment aims not only to recognise the contributions of existing employees but also to entice new talent into the workforce. of new specialised commercial court "The government must continue to invest in human resources and infrastructure while reforming processes through legislative changes."