Two magistrates elevated to judges as two lawyers join the bench

Two serving magistrates have been promoted to the judiciary’s higher ranks, while two lawyers have joined the bench as new magistrates, following a public selection process announced by the Office of the President.

Magistrates Simone Grech and Rachel Montebello have been appointed judges, while lawyers Franco Agius and Ingrid Bianco were appointed magistrates. The appointments come after a public call for applications issued by Justice Minister Jonathan Attard in August.

The President’s Office said the selections followed a two-stage process overseen by the Judicial Appointments Committee, which the President praised for its “meticulous work”.

For the judgeships, 17 expressions of interest were received, with Grech and Montebello chosen from a shortlist of four that also included Charmaine Galea and Gabriella Vella.

Similarly, for the magistrate posts, 20 expressions of interest were submitted, with Agius and Bianco selected from a shortlist that included Patrick Valentino and Claudio Zammit.

Last month, the minister publicly expressed frustration at delays in filling judicial vacancies and other key posts, including the Standards Commissioner for the Judiciary, which remains unfilled.

More recently, Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, Judge Emeritus Toni Abela, and Labour MP Edward Zammit Lewis called for equal pay between magistrates and judges. Both Chetcuti and Abela went further, suggesting that the judiciary could eventually operate as a single unified body, doing away with the distinction between the two titles.

The newly appointed judges and magistrates are expected to take their oaths of office in the coming days.