Judiciary want rulings on anti-constitutional laws to be reflected immediately

Laws that are deemed to be anti-constitutional by the courts should be rectified immediately, the association representing judges and magistrates said.

The matter was raised in a courtesy meeting the newly appointed committee of the Association for Judges and Magistrates had with President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

“There is no mechanism in place where decisions by the constitutional court striking down laws that are deemed anti-constitutional are immediately reflected,” the association told the President.

Judge Toni Abela was elected recently by his peers as president of the association in an election that also saw the composition of a new committee.

The committee said the President could be the ideal interlocutor between the judiciary and other branches of the State so that the judiciary’s integrity is not compromised.

Turning to criticism of court decisions, the committee said it was concerned over unjust criticism of court decisions that sometimes also targeted the magistrate or judge personally.

“Every decision of the judiciary is subject to scrutiny and public criticism but we are concerned about unjust criticism, especially on social media, that also includes personal criticism against the member of the judiciary concerned, by people who do not necessarily understand the technical matters on which the decision would have been based,” the committee told the President.

Magistrates and judges want the President to organise an educational campaign to raise awareness on these matters whenever she felt it was necessary.