Government rules out return of criminal libel, says PM

The government has no intention of reintroducing criminal libel, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Thursday, insisting that debates around media reform must remain firmly within the civil legal sphere.

Addressing a Times of Malta Business Breakfast marking the newspaper’s 90th anniversary, Abela said journalism must be protected as a pillar of democracy while ensuring effective remedies remain available to those who suffer abuses of freedom of expression.

Criminal libel was abolished in Malta under the current administration. “Our civil law must continue to provide protection for journalists acting in good faith, while also ensuring victims of abuse have access to remedies,” the Prime Minister said.

Last year, former Labour Party president Ramona Attard said that decriminalising criminal libel was a mistake and called for increased fines for libel convictions.

He pointed to ongoing public consultation on media reform, which includes proposals to entrench press freedom in Malta’s Constitution, reinforce privacy rights and introduce stronger safeguards against harassment and intimidation of journalists. Malta, he noted, was also the first EU country to adopt anti-SLAPP legislation to block vexatious lawsuits intended to silence public-interest reporting.

Abela said reforms were complemented by practical measures such as new police protocols to deal with threats against journalists, as well as financial assistance to newsrooms facing pressures from crises like COVID-19 and rising print costs.

Congratulating Times of Malta on its 90th anniversary, the Prime Minister said ensuring a vibrant media landscape requires collective commitment from government, journalists and citizens alike.