Head of Civil Service says that protocol change does not relegate the judiciary

Head of the Civil Service Mario Cutajar has said that the changes in protocol regarding the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice, do not, in any way, relegate the judiciary.

The order of precedence had been changed in October and while the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister held on to the top two positions in the pecking order – as Heads of State and Government respectively – the Chief Justice has been moved below the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Archbishop of Malta.

Mr Cutajar said that the Speaker was bumped up two positions on the list to reflect recently introduced legislation, “after many years of discussion, and reports, regarding the autonomy of Parliament as the highest institution in the country”. “The Chief Justice is, in fact, in the first category of this list. Judges kept their position while magistrates rose a number of slots so that the position would reflect their responsibilities,” Mr Cutajar said.

He also said that the legislation regarding Parliament and the President of the House are in the public domain. The new order of precedence was also circulated early last November through normal means in the public service, and thus reached all ministries and departments.

The above statements by Mr Cutajar were sent to the press in response to an article published in the Times of Malta. The government said that the answers were sent to the newspaper’s questions, despite the article saying the contrary.