Robert Abela vows to resist pressure of those with an ‘agenda of cruelty’ on chief justice appointment

Prime Minister Robert Abela has said that he will not give in to pressure from what he called third parties with an "agenda of cruelty" in the selection of the next chief justice.

He defended the handling of the chief justice nomination when addressing supporters on Sunday.

The prime minister recalled the 2020 appointment, where he sought unanimity with then Opposition leader Adrian Delia despite not being legally required to do so.

"We did not allow third parties, who should not be involved in the process, to interfere and put forward their wicked agenda," Abela said.

He criticised Opposition leader Alex Borg for inconsistency, accusing him of breaking his promise to support a judge he had vowed to support.

"When you promise a judge you'll support her and then abandon her at the last moment, you've lost everything," he said.

The prime minister said the delay in the parliamentary vote caused uncertainty. He noted that the current chief justice was concerned that without a vote, he would enter court but not deliver judgments or make decisions that could be challenged.

"This is the situation the Opposition leader brought the country into through this irresponsible, immature decision-making that tries to please everyone all the time," Abela said.

He accused Borg of causing a constitutional crisis through weakness.

Family court reforms

Abela also spoke about the government’s announcement of major reforms to the Family Court, the first substantial changes in 22 years.
Parliamentary Secretary Andy Ellul, who spoke before the Prime Minister, described the reforms as strengthening the position of families going through separation proceedings.

The reform establishes a dedicated Family Court with specialised infrastructure and judiciary, among other things.

"We cannot accept situations where children enter as children into their parents' separation process and emerge as adults by the time that process ends. This is something we have seen happen many times, and it is no longer acceptable," Abela said.

Looking ahead, the prime minister said the government will present the Malta Vision 2050 in the coming weeks, outlining the country's targets for 2035 and 2050. 

He said the vision will deliver the best economy alongside the best quality of life, the best income for families alongside the best renewal of national identity that makes people Gozitan and Maltese, and the best careers for children alongside the best support for what makes life beautiful.

"This is the Malta we will deliver to you and future generations. You deserve this - all of you who have stood by our country, our soldiers of steel," Abela said, calling 2026 "the year of our steel.”