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;

The Committee sets out its own Rules and Guidelines for the Expression of Interests. 

The Committee also sets out its own Guidelines on Good Character.

A Personal Questionnaire and an Authorisation and Consent Form is also drawn up by the Committee and should be filled in and sent to the Committee by whoever chooses to register his expression of interest with the said Committee.