The chief justice of Malta is the

primus inter pares is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their seniority in office. H ...

of the members of the Maltese judiciary and leads the business of the superior courts of

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

Appointment

The chief justice is appointed by the

president of Malta The president of Malta () is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The president is indirect election, indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term and requires them to sw ...

by a two-thirds resolution of the

House of Representatives of Malta A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

. The Judicial Appointments Committee, which is in charge of recommending the appointment of the members of the judiciary, is not consulted on the appointment of the chief justice. This to ensure that the outgoing chief justice would not have a say on the choice of his or her successor.{{Cite web, url=http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-12-30/local-news/New-Chief-Justice-to-be-appointed-by-government-in-consultation-with-the-Opposition-6736183072, title = New Chief Justice to be appointed by government 'in consultation with the opposition' - the Malta Independent

Duties

Where more than one judge is assigned to sit ordinarily in a court, or in a chamber or section of the court, the distribution of duties in general between the judges appertains to the chief justice. By virtue of his office, the chief justice of Malta is ''ex officio'': *Deputy Chairman of the

Commission for the Administration of Justice of Malta This Commission for the Administration of Justice of Malta is the national council of the judiciary of Malta. It is set up under the relevant provisions of the Constitution (art. 101A, last amended in 2016), and is chaired by the President of Ma ...

. *President of the Court of Appeal (Superior Jurisdiction) *President of the Court of Criminal Appeal (Superior Jurisdiction) *President of the Constitutional Court The chief justice may designate one of the magistrates sitting in the inferior courts as Senior Magistrate, who shall perform such duties and functions as may be assigned to his by the chief justice himself. If the office of Chief Justice is vacant or if the chief justice is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office, then, until a person has been appointed to and has assumed the functions of that office or until the chief justice has resumed those functions, as the case may be, those functions shall (except to such extent, if any, as other provision is made by law) be performed by such one of the other judges of the superior courts as may be designated in that behalf by the president, acting in accordance with the advice of the prime minister.

References

Government of Malta Malta, Chief Justice

Appointment

Duties

See also

References