The Chamber has been advised that the Judicial Appointments Committee has now published the rules and guidelines for judicial appointments, together with guidelines on the meaning of good character in the context of an application for judicial office, a personal questionnaire which is to be completed by candidates wishing to apply to judicial office and an authorisation and consent form. All of these documents are available on the JAC website https://judiciary.mt/en/Pages/Judicial-Appointments-Committee.aspx, as well as in the Downloads section of our website.
The rules and guidelines approved in November 2020 by the JAC set out how the JAC will work and will go about the evaluation of candidates. They are specifically intended to set the benchmark for candidates who wish to apply for judicial office and for candidates to understand the expectations of the JAC and establish guidelines on the application and evaluation process. Apart from that, the rules and guidelines also establish the criteria that the JAC will take into account in the selection of candidates and the recommendations it would be making to the President of the Malta. Supporting these rules and guidelines, the JAC has also published another document which sets out guidance on the meaning attributed by the JAC to good character and the importance that the JAC will give several factors explained in the guidance in assessing good character.
The Personal Questionnaire to be completed by candidates is also downloadable. This document provides the personal, professional and financial information about candidates that the JAC will evaluate in making its recommendations. This is a Word document that will enable candidates to use the document downloaded to complete the questionnaire electronically. Finally, a candidate shall be expected to provide an authorisation and consent form which would enable the JAC to make further background checks about the candidate as part of its evaluation.
