Malta - February 2025

In February, Bill 125, a proposed reform to amend the Criminal Code advanced through parliamentary readings. The bill aims to change how private individuals report suspected wrongdoing by reforming the country’s magisterial inquiry system. Currently, individuals can report suspected misconduct directly to a magistrate, who then decides whether to initiate an inquiry. Although reportedly only 0.3 per cent of magisterial inquiries come from private individuals, the system has been crucial in the investigation of high-profile corruption cases involving public officials. The proposed reform would remove the ability of individuals to resort to magistrates directly. Instead, they would need to first file a police report and provide court-admissible evidence before an inquiry could be launched. If the police fail to act within six months, the individual could then petition for an inquiry. Critics argue that the introduction of this new admissible evidence standard would place an undue burden and make it more difficult for individuals to hold public officials accountable, particularly in complex cases of corruption. On 16 February, over 3,000 protesters gathered in Valletta, urging the government to pause the bill and seek public consultation.

Sources: Parliament of Malta, Malta Today, Malta Independent (1), Malta Independent (2), Aditus, Times of Malta, Amphora Media