Retired Judge Toni Abela to be appointed judiciary standards commissioner

Retired Judge Toni Abela is set to become the first standards commissioner for the judiciary, a new role introduced earlier this year, MaltaToday has learnt.

Abela retired from the judiciary last June after reaching the legally-mandated retirement age for members of the judiciary, which is set at 68. He had served nine years as a judge, having been appointed to the bench in 2016.

MaltaToday understands that Abela has accepted the appointment made by the Commission for the Administration of Justice, a constitutional body.

Abela graduated as a lawyer in 1984 and after falling out with the Labour Party, where he served as president, went on to become one of the founders of Alternattiva Demokratika. He later re-joined the PL and went on to become deputy leader for party affairs in 2008. He relinquished the deputy leadership in 2016 when he was nominated by the government to serve on the European Court of Auditors, a post he failed to secure. Subsequently he was appointed judge.

Despite his political past, Abela earned plaudits from peers and lawyers for his work as judge, with some of his rulings considered to be landmark judgments.

The post of standards commissioner for the judiciary was created earlier this year when government put forward a raft of constitutional changes to reform aspects of the judicial system. The Opposition had voted against the reforms.

While some of the reforms could not be enacted since they required a two-thirds vote such as the proposal to increase the retirement age for members of the judiciary, others such as the creation of the role of Commissioner for Standards of the Judiciary only required a simple majority.

The post was created to serve as an ethical watchdog on the judiciary.

The commissioner is appointed for a three-year term by the Commission for the Administration of Justice, a constitutional body tasked with overseeing matters related to the judiciary, including discipline. The role can be occupied by a retired judge or magistrate, or a lawyer who is no longer practicing.

The standards commissioner will receive reports and complaints not only as is the situation today from the Chief Justice or the justice minister, but directly from the general public.