The long road to justice: 206 awaiting trial

There are 206 people who are awaiting trial for crimes they have committed, figures tabled in parliament by Justice Minister Jonathan Attard show.

These include 76 people who have been waiting for five years or more to undergo trial proceedings.

Attard was replying to a parliamentary question from Nationalist MP Graziella Attard Previ.

The data, correct up to the end of May 2025, shows that 48 people have been waiting between two and five years, while 44 people have been waiting for a year. A further 38 people have been waiting for six months to undergo a trial.

In his reply, Attard noted that over the past months, money was invested in the Valletta law courts to have a new hall where juries could also be held.

The new hall joined Hall 22, which is the largest and has been used for jury trials.

Attard said that over the past weeks, three juries were held in the new hall, while another jury was taking place in Hall 22.