Set up in 2016, the Judicial Appointments Committee in accordance with Article 96A of the Constitution, is composed of the Chief Justice, two Judges elected by their peers for a period of four years, a Magistrate elected by his or her peers for a period of four years, the Commissioner for Administrative Investigations (Ombudsman) and the President of the Chamber of Advocates.
The Functions of the Commiittee are the following:
(a) to receive and examine expressions of
interest from persons interested in being appointed to the office of Judge of the Superior
Courts (other than the office of Chief Justice) or of Magistrate of the
Inferior Courts;
(b) to keep a permanent register of
expressions of interest, which register shall be kept secret and shall be accessible
only to the members of the Committee, and the President of
Malta;
(c) to conduct interviews
and evaluations of
candidates for the above-mentioned offices in such manner as it deems appropriate
and for this
purpose to request information from any
public authority as it considers to be reasonably required.
(d) to give advice on appointment to any other
judicial office or office
in the courts
as the Minister responsible for
justice may from time to time request;
(e)
to approach with
a view of
eliciting interest amongst qualified persons for
the office of Judge or Magistrate
When a vacancy in the office of Judge or Magistrate occurs, the
Committee shall send
to the President, through the Secretary,
the names of three candidates that the Committee considers to be most
suitable along with a detailed report on the suitability and merit of these three
candidates who, in the opinion
of the Committee, are deemed
to be the most suitable for the appointment of these offices
The President shall be entitled to elect a Judge or a Magistrate exclusively
from the names of the three candidates transmitted
by the Committee
which names of the three candidates shall be made public in the President’s
decision;