Justice ministry announces six new members of the judiciary

Magistrates Anthony Vella, Consuelo Scerri Herrera and Grazio Mercieca have been appointed judges, the Justice ministry said on Sunday afternoon.

It said the government had advised the President of the Republic to appoint the three judges and three magistrates who were all approved by the committee responsible for vetting appointments to the judiciary.

Rachel Montebello, Simone Grech and Astrid May Grima have been appointed magistrates.

The ministry said that the appointments mean that for the first time in the country’s “legal history”, the judiciary will have a majority of female representatives at 23 women and 22 men.

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Anthony Vella

The ministry said that Vella had been appointed to the commssion for the administration of justice between April 2012 and April 2018 and had served as a magistrate in criminal cases related the Family Courts, environmental crimes, and crimes connected to safety and secrurity.

Consuelo Scerri Herrera

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera was born in 1964 and graduated as a lawyer in 1988. She was appointed magistrate in May 1997. The ministry noted that Scerri Herrera had also recently been elected to the commission for the administration of justice by her peers, and that she is currently reading for a PhD in criminal law 

Grazio Mercieca

Mercieca was born in 1957 and graduated as a lawyer in 1982. He was made magistrate in November 2016 after having served as Commissioner for justice, arbiter and court attorney in the First Hall of the Civil Courts.

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Rachel Montebello

Montebello was born in 1975 and became a lawyer in 2000. She has worked in civil, commercial and family law, as well as an arbiter. She has also served as a Commissioner for Justice and is presently a court attorney

Simone Grech

Grech was born in 2980 and became a lawyer in 2005. She has worked in her own private practice as well as a judicial assistant. She was appointed court attorney in 2015.

Astrid May Grima

Grima was born in 1974 and became a lawyer in 2007. She has worked in her private practice, specializing in civil and family law. She has served as secretary to the board of directors of Malta Investments plc., and as legal consultant to Identity Malta.