Victim Support Malta Calls for Urgent Action on Court Delays At this particularly delicate time, as the country reflects on the conclusion of proceedings relating to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Victim Support Malta turns its attention to the wider issue of how long victims and their families may have to wait for justice. This moment is also a powerful reminder of the profound and lasting impact that lengthy criminal proceedings can have on victims’ families and loved ones.
The European Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report highlights serious and persistent shortcomings in the efficiency of Malta’s justice system. The estimated time required to conclude a first-instance criminal case rose from 527 days in 2022 to 713 days in 2023, reaching 862 days in 2024. The position is even more alarming for severe criminal cases. In 2024, the estimated disposition time reached 3,977 days—almost eleven years and the longest recorded in the European Union. This represented a sharp increase from 2,506 days in 2022 and 2,160 days in 2023. Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a life placed on hold. For victims and their loved ones, prolonged court proceedings can deepen trauma, prolong uncertainty and create a painful sense that justice remains out of reach.
Victim Support Malta respects the independence of the judiciary and recognises the complexity of criminal proceedings. However, justice cannot be considered fully effective when victims and families must wait years—and, in the most serious cases, more than a decade—for proceedings to conclude. Victim Support Malta calls for sustained and urgent action to address court backlogs, reduce unnecessary delays and ensure that the justice system has the resources and reforms required to function effectively. Victims deserve to be heard, supported and treated with dignity throughout the judicial process. They have a right to timely justice. Source: European Commission, 2026 Rule of Law Report — Country Chapter on the Rule of Law Situation in Malta
Source: European Commission, 2026 Rule of Law Report — Country Chapter on the Rule of Law Situation in Malta
