Bill 125: our open letter to Council of Europe entities and EU institutions
21 February 2025
Together with aditus foundation, the Malta Office of the Fondazione Falcone, Moviment Graffitti, and Repubblika, we have written to Council of Europe entities and to EU institutions about our serious concerns regarding Bill 125, which aims to aims to drastically amend Malta’s Criminal Code provisions regulating magisterial inquiry requests by private citizens.
The following key concerns are explained in detail in the respective letters.
- Direct access to the judiciary is key to transparency and accountability. Bill 125 disrupts this.
- The proposed Bill will further shield Malta’s criminals.
- Reactions to the Bill have been unanimously negative.
- Government has rushed the Parliamentary procedure concerning Bill 125.
- Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Assembly of the Council of Europe
- Xavier Bettel, Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
- Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission
- Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.
- Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
- António Costa President of the European Council
- Roberta Metsola of the European Parliament
- Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection
- Javier Zarzalejos Chair of Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.