Toni Abela appears before judiciary commission in bid to be made judge

Labour’s former deputy leader submitted himself to interview before Commission for the Administration of Justice to be assessed on suitability for the bench

Toni Abela (left) would ultimately be selected by justice minister Owen Bonnici (centre) only if the Commission for the Administration of Justice deems his application to be suitable
Toni Abela (left) would ultimately be selected by justice minister Owen Bonnici (centre) only if the Commission for the Administration of Justice deems his application to be suitable

Labour’s former deputy leader for party affairs, Toni Abela, has sat for an interview before a subcommitte of the Commission for the Administration of Justice to be considered for the role of judge or magistrate.

Another candidate, Gozitan lawyer Grazio Mercieca, also submitted his interest for a post in the judiciary.

The applications form part of the new process of selecting members of the judiciary, where lawyers submit their interest and are finally assessed by a subcommittee Commission for the Administration of Justice according to set criteria.

The subcommittee is made up of the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Ombudsman, and the president of the Chamber of Advocates.

The results of these interviews are then presented to the minister for justice, for him or her to make their own consideration as to which suitable candidate is appointed judge or magistrate.

Toni Abela, 58, was this year turned down to become Malta’s member in the European Court of Auditors, after MEPs from the Budgetary Control Committee voted 17-9 against the nomination.

His resignation as PL deputy leader paved the way for Konrad Mizzi’s election to the post, who has since resigned the deputy leadership in the wake of the Panama Papers scandal.

Abela’s 30-minute hearing had been stunted by his lack of experience in top-level government posts, as well as being overshadowed by questions focusing on his political life both before and after the 2013 election.

Not so his interview before the Commission for the Administration of Justice, according to a source privy to the talks. “He was found to be well capable of fulfilling the role of a judge.”

Abela was indeed denied a suitable ‘exit’ from his political life when he withdrew his candidature for the Auditors’ Court after being turned down by MEPs. It could be only a matter of time before he is seen donning a judge’s cape under this Labour administration.

The other candidate, Grazio Mercieca, is the author of a volume of work on the judgements of Judge emeritus Philip Sciberras, who formerly presided over the Appeals Court.