Chief Justice of Malta

Chief Justice of Malta Prim Imħallef ta' Malta
Coat of Arms of the Republic of Malta
Incumbent Joseph Azzopardi since 26th April 2018
Style	His Honour the Chief Justice
Appointer	President of Malta
Term length	Until he attains the age of 65, resigns or impeached.
Inaugural holder	Giuseppe Borg Olivier
Formation	1814
Website	http://judiciarymalta.gov.mt/the-chief-justice

Malta
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Malta
Republic Constitution President (list) Marie Louise Coleiro Preca
Government Prime Minister (list) Joseph Muscat Deputy Prime Minister (list) Chris Fearne Finance Minister (list) Edward Scicluna Foreign Minister (list) Carmelo Abela Cabinet (current)
Parliament Speaker (list) Angelo Farrugia Deputy Speaker (list) Claudette Buttigieg Leader of the House (list) Chris Fearne Leader of the Opposition (list) Adrian Delia
Judiciary Chief Justice (list) Joseph Azzopardi Law Courts and Tribunals Commission for the Administration of Justice
Political parties Nationalist Party Labour Party Democratic Party Alleanza Bidla Democratic Alternative Imperium Europa Moviment Patrijotti Maltin
Recent elections Legislative: 2008 2013 2017 European: 2004 2009 2014 Referendums: 2011 2015
Administrative divisions Local councils Districts Regions
Foreign relations
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The Chief Justice of Malta is the primus inter pares of the judicial branch of Malta. The Chief Justice leads the business of the Superior Courts and is appointed by the President of Malta acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister of Malta after consulting with the Leader of Opposition.

The judicial appointments committee which is constituted according to the provisions of the Constitution and chaired by the Chief Justice, is not consulted on the appointment. This to ensure that the outgoing Chief Justice would not have a say on the choice of his/her successor.^[1]

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.
• 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.

See also

• List of Chief Justices of Malta

References