Updated | PN lambasts Justice Ministry for failing to facilitate virtual court sittings

Updated at 4:45pm with Court Services Agency response

As court sittings return to their normal pace after the Christmas period, the Justice Ministry is facing flak from the Nationalist Party for not facilitating virtual hearings in Malta’s Law Courts amid the pandemic.

Opposition spokesperson for Justice Jason Azzopardi penned a statement saying that legal professions are having to put their health at risk by physically attending Court hearings everyday.

“While the number of positive COVID cases per day is reaching record levels, and despite a large number of members of the legal profession having children at home because of closed schools, there are today only three chambers in which hearings can be held virtually,” the statement reads.

“The Justice Minister did not have the wisdom to use the past year to face the storm of today. His priorities were elsewhere.”

PN started calling for virtual court sittings earlier last year after the physical court building had to close its doors due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Chamber of Advocates proposed the same idea, saying that virtual courtrooms and the remote filing of judicial acts would allow lawyers to keep cases going despite court closures.

So far, three courtrooms have already been equipped with webcams and monitors to allow for digital hearings.

Court Services Agency responds to criticism

The Court Services Agency said in a statement on Thursday afternoon that three court halls in Malta and two in Gozo were technologically equipped to hold virtual sittings and procurement is underway to equip another five courtrooms by the end of January.

It noted that a legal framework regarding the digitalisation of courtrooms was adopted in November last year and staff have been trained to logistically assist in virtual sittings.

"Our Courts have continued to hear sittings notwithstanding the fact that we are in the middle of a global pandemic; this has been done in line with the guidelines issued by the Superintendent for Public Health," the agency said.