Justice on Gozo: Calls Grow for Local Sittings Amid Systemic Delays
For the first time in history, the Forensic Year opened in Gozo on 1 October 2026 — a symbolic gesture, but one that has reignited demands for urgent structural change. Chris Said, President of the Gozo Chamber of Advocates, used the occasion to push for courts and tribunals to hold regular sittings on the island, arguing that residents are being forced into a second-class system.
The Gozo Court is not a branch — it’s a primary institution, Said declared. He pointed to bodies like the Land Arbitration Board, the Industrial Tribunal, the Immigration Appeals Board and the Public Contracts Review Board, all of which currently operate exclusively in Malta. Gozitans seeking hearings with these panels must cross the channel — a journey that adds cost, delay and stress to proceedings already burdened by systemic backlogs.
Staffing shortages and outdated facilities continue to cripple local access. Two full-time magistrates manage all civil and criminal matters across the island, a workload experts say is unsustainable. The current courthouse, described by lawyers as physically incompatible with modern needs, remains inaccessible to many elderly and disabled residents. A new courthouse, slated for the former Downtown Hotel site after a €6.325M purchase in November 2025, is not the solution in isolation — it is, Said insists, a chance to redesign justice delivery entirely.
Digital delays persist despite reform pledges. The Justice Minister has promised an “unprecedented” overhaul of court systems, including a new digital case management platform and electronic notice boards. But the Gozo Chamber warns that the current paper-based notice system causes delays of months before even minor matters are processed. Lawyers are demanding a legally binding framework for electronic notifications — something they say could cut waste and reduce hardship.
Malta’s broader justice crisis affects Gozo acutely. According to the European Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report, Malta recorded the longest case durations in the EU in 2024: serious criminal cases took nearly 11 years on average; civil disputes over 490 days. The clearance rate for serious crimes stood at just 22.4%, meaning more cases piled in than were resolved. With Gozo’s population growing and its legal needs expanding, the island’s isolation from routine tribunal access amplifies these national failings.
Reforms are underway — but slowly. On 1 October, most of the 2026 Family Court Procedure Regulations took effect, introducing clearer mediation paths and stronger child protection measures. The Court Services Agency now employs 642 staff, supported by 50 Court Attorneys and 59 Judicial Assistants. New Magistrates have been appointed, and the Judiciary now has 62 members.
Still, residents don’t need more reports — they need sittings. Whether the government will act before another Forensic Year begins remains to be seen. For now, Gozitans wait — not just for justice, but for the right to receive it at home.
