Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544021
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 MARCH 2026 What's changing rules for MPs A set of amendments to the Standards in Public Some changes tighten the rules, but others are CHANGES to parliamentary eth- ics rules are on the horizon—al- though they've been on the hori- zon for a while. In January this year Prime Min- ister Robert Abela made it clear that he wanted to change the code of ethics so that ministers and MPs are subject to the same asset declaration system. At this point, ministers had already stopped submitting asset decla- rations to Cabinet, instead only subjecting themselves to the asset declarations expected as MPs Now, the proposals have been presented to a parliamentary committee. Here is a breakdown of what is and isn't changing in the existing legal framework. The background Malta's Standards in Public Life Act sets out two separate codes of ethics: one for members of par- liament, contained in the First Schedule, and one for ministers and parliamentary secretaries, contained in the Second Sched- ule. The Standards Commissioner oversees compliance with both. The proposed amendments, drawn up by the Justice Ministry on the recommendation of parlia- ment's permanent committee on standards in public life, would re- place the MPs' code in its entirety and make one targeted but sig- nificant change to the ministers' code. The changes require an af- firmative resolution of the House before they come into force. A more detailed code for MPs The current MPs' code is a rela- tively brief document. It sets out basic obligations around conduct, bans additional payment for par- liamentary work, and requires members to declare certain assets annually in a register kept by the Speaker. The new code is considerably more detailed. It explicitly ex- tends the ethics rules beyond the chamber itself to cover members' conduct in public life general- ly, including political events and constituency work. Two new provisions require members to show respect to the Speaker and fellow MPs, and to uphold a set of named values in their work: loyalty, objectivity, honesty, ac- countability, transparency, and confidentiality. These somewhat mirrors what are known interna- tionally as the Nolan principles, a framework for public life ethics developed in the UK in the 1990s that has become a widely adopted benchmark. Expanded asset declarations The asset declaration require- ments are being somewhat strengthened. Under the current code, MPs must declare their oc- cupation, immovable property, shares and investments, and di- NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt Palazzo Torretta in Santa Venera earmarked for five storey block Development proposes 19 dwellings and two catering establishments, retaining the façade while taking up the palazzo's garden PLANS for the redevelopment of Palazzo Torretta which oc- cupies a prominent corner between the St Joseph High Street main road and Msida Road in Santa Venera is being earmarked for the develop- ment of a five-storey apart- ment block. The application, PA/2001/26, submitted by Three Jar Pro- jects Ltd. proposes the inter- nal demolition of the existing building while retaining its façade. The project envisages a five-storey block comprising 18 apartments, one maison- ette, two catering outlets an office and a basement with ga- rages and a water reservoir. The additional floors are receded from the building's façade to reach five floors in the area currently occupied by the existing garden reach- ing the same height of an ad- jacent building which already disrupts the uniformity of the Msida road which is mostly characterised by two storey buildings. While this design aims to preserve the street-facing frontage, it concentrates the bulk of the new development at the rear, resulting in the to- tal loss of the palazzo's mature garden. The palazzo which probably dates to the nineteenth century is located opposite the Torret- ta di San Giuseppe, a historic water inspection tower which forms part of the 17th-century Wignacourt Aqueduct. While the palazzo itself is lo- cated within the Urban Con- servation Area and thus enjoys a higher level of protection, its 250sqm is not, effectively facil- itating its transformation into high-density residential use. The property had previously fallen under the protected rent regime for pre 1995 properties and was only vacated a few years ago. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Palazzo Torretta on Msida Road in Santa Venera earmarked for development