Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1527317
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 2 OCTOBER 2024 2 MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt AUXILIARY Bishop Joseph Galea Curmi has urged Mal- ta's judges and magistrates to be steadfast in their values and to resist the societal pressures that can make them waver. The exhortation was made during the auxiliary Bishop's homily during a mass at St. John's Co-Cathedral in Val- letta, marking the start of the Forensic Year. The Cathedral was packed with members of the legal pro- fession and a number of digni- taries, among them the Presi- dent of the Republic, Myriam Spiteri Debono, the Speaker of the House, Angelo Farru- gia, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, the Leader of the Op- position, Bernard Grech and Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti. Social media today is packed with fake news, Galea Curmi told the congregation, add- ing that to follow the truth is difficult and uncomfortable, but was the only way to act responsibly to the society one lives in. He observed that a mentality had taken root "where what is wrong is exalted, or acceptable because everyone is doing it." "When you are acting justly you are acting against a men- tality that embraces every type of illegality and the erosion of the foundations of society," the bishop said. Addressing the judiciary, Galea Curmi said "But you, you must think of what is right and fitting, think of what is just. You are called to work for justice, impartially…inspired by the values of honesty and integrity which are necessary for justice." "Think of what is pure. Dis- tance yourselves from decep- tion, where evil is necessary, corruption and bribery is [to- day]…almost a value that is praised." Thanking the judiciary and legal profession for their pres- ence and values, the bishop said their contribution was es- sential to a society "which pro- tects human life and dignity." The bishop prayed for the judiciary to be enlightened by wisdom and justice in their duties, urging them to "be an uncomfortable presence for those who don't want to be conscientious and a sign of hope for those that do." 'Be an uncomfortable presence for those who don't want to be conscientious,' Bishop tells judiciary Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea Curmi (File photo) THE President of the Chamber of Advocates has called on au- thorities to start to regulate law- yers, among other things during his speech at the opening of the Forensic Year. On Tuesday, Chamber of Ad- vocates President Peter Fenech stated that the act regulating the legal profession has still not been introduced and that it is con- cerning that Malta is one of the few countries that does not reg- ulate lawyers. Fenech also spoke of the law course at the University and how it should be strengthened through restructuring, raising entry requirements, and ensur- ing students gain more practical experience. He confirmed that these proposals are current- ly under discussion and hoped an agreement would soon be reached. On this matter, Fenech said that more seriousness is needed in the practice of law and that it must be ensured that before being granted a warrant, a per- son has completed their year of training. On a general note, Fenech stat- ed that as time goes on, more people are turning to the courts to resolve disputes, which con- firms the heavy pressure on the judicial system. He lamented that a year af- ter the Chamber presented its 'Justice 2030' proposals, no pro- gress has been registered, as he stressed that these proposals must be implemented to ensure that the Courts are better pre- pared for the future. Fenech called for an end to cri- sis-driven leadership, calling on the sector to have the courage to do what needs to be done in the field of justice beyond the pressures of sectors with vested interests, and beyond political pressure. The President of the Chamber also mentioned how the increase in population in Malta has led to more cases in Court, which needs to be carefully analysed. On the introduction of Inquir- ing Magistrates, Fenech stated that this was a good idea but questioned why they still lack of- fices and deputies to assist them, highlighting the shortage of technical experts and called on the justice minister to establish a committee to address this issue. Regarding the judiciary, Fenech emphasised that every judge de- serves a larger office and that there should be no distinction between superior and inferior courts. He also pointed out the need for more staff in these offic- es to support the judiciary. On another note, Fenech lamented that lawyers' fees and salaries are inadequate and that court experts are paid signifi- cantly more for less work. He reiterated that he is prepared to issue directives if the minis- try of justice continues to fail to address the discrepancies in the payments made to lawyers. Regarding the digitisation of the Court system, Fenech stated that Malta is behind in this as- pect and noted that the commit- tee responsible for leading this process has yet to meet. He com- plained that there is no informa- tion on what progress, if any, has been made by this committee. The introduction of an inde- pendent procedure for com- plaints While clarifying that the major- ity of magistrates do their work diligently, Fenech complained that there are a few magistrates, "that can be counted on one hand" who are repeatedly crit- icised for not doing their job properly. He warned that such shortcom- ings, including delays in issuing special decrees or showing dis- respect to lawyers, diminish the work done by the judiciary. Fenech called for the estab- lishment of a procedure, inde- pendent of the judiciary, to allow complaints to be brought for- ward if, prima facie, they merit further investigation. He em- phasised that discipline is cru- cial and should only be feared by those who are not fulfilling their responsibilities. However, Fenech admitted that over the past year, he received "a large number" of complaints about lawyers, and while he ac- knowledged that some were baseless, others required atten- tion. 'It's time to regulate lawyers,' Chamber of Advocates president tells lawmakers Chamber of Advocates President Peter Fenech