On 19 May 2022, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders launched the EU Justice Scoreboard 2022, which presents an annual overview of indicators on the efficiency, quality, and independence of justice systems across the member states of the European Union. The scoreboard is one of the tools in the Rule of Law Toolbox used by the Commission in assessing the rule of law situation in the member states as outlined in the Annual Rule of Law Report.
The EU JS22 is based on the data of 2020, which is the year in which the Covid-19 global pandemic hit Malta. The fact that the Law Courts were not operating for a good part of the year, and the concomitant transition to a more digitalised system to resume operations, have left their mark on the efficiency of the justice system. However, Malta registered a decrease in the pending caseload in litigious civil and commercial cases, as well as a decrease in the length of proceedings of money laundering cases when compared to 2019. Malta, in line with half of the EU member states, registered an overall increase in the length of proceedings, and a reduction in the clearance rate.
With respect to the quality of the justice system, the EU JS22 has further expanded on the digitalisation aspect of justice systems. Malta performs relatively well in this sector particularly when it comes to the enactment of procedural rules that allow digital technology in courts and online access to judgements. The Digital Justice Strategy that has been launched in December 2021 is specifically aimed at facilitating the transition to a more digitalised justice environment, and it is expected that in the coming years, Malta’s performance in this sector will improve.
The European Commission also carries out an annual Eurobarometer survey to measure the degree of perceived judicial independence amongst all member states. Over 70% of the general public and over 65% of companies consider the Maltese judicial institution to be independent, underscoring a notable improvement in public and industry perception of judicial independence over the previous years.
The Ministry for Justice welcomes the publication of the EU JS 22 with a sense of commitment to improve the efficiency of justice and reaffirms its mandate to help justice transition to a more digitalised era, improve its accessibility, and promote public confidence in the justice system. The ministry acknowledges the efforts of all stakeholders, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, and looks forward to furthering the cooperation with them in the coming years.
As retained in the Electoral Manifesto, the government is committed to addressing the efficiency of justice by implementing new landmark reforms such as the compilation of evidence process and the appeals procedure to address the problem of the delays that have accumulated over the years. Furthermore, the government will continue to invest in the infrastructure and human resources to achieve the best possible results and ensure that justice is not only done but manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be served.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister