The Maltese language continues to reflect our cultural identity on a European legal level – Minister

The Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector, Jonathan Attard, addressed a seminar entitled “Malta and the Court of Justice of the European Union”, organised by the Chamber of Advocates in collaboration with the Maltese Language Division at the Court of Justice of the European Union, on the occasion of Malta’s 20th anniversary for its EU membership.

During this seminar, the head of the division, Joseph Izzo Clarke, presented the second volume of the Court of Justice’s publication called “Malta and the Court of Justice of the European Union”. This publication features Malta’s rich history in the EU and its collaboration with the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

Minister Attard said that this publication emphasises the crucial role of language in facilitating legal discourse and to ensure that all citizens have access to justice.

“Language is not only a means of communication, but it is a reflection of our cultural identity and historical heritage, and it is our responsibility to preserve and celebrate it”, Minister Attard said while recalling the 90th anniversary since Maltese became an official language of the Maltese Islands and its Courts of Justice.

While thanking all those who had contributed to the creation of this publication, Minister Attard stated that “your collective efforts have all created a comprehensive and intuitive resource that will undoubtedly serve as a reference valuable for academics, practitioners and even lawmakers.”

This volume explores in detail the collaboration between the Maltese Courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union. It also offers knowledge and insights on how this relationship has developed over the last 10 years, following another publication that came out in honour of Malta’s first decade of EU membership, the Government said.

The Head of the Division, Joseph Izzo Clarke, stressed the importance of the publication in the context of the legal profession, as a relevant source of information for Malta. He called it as such since the book features a collection of cases that involved Malta, citizens and residents of Malta, as well as companies registered in Malta, while delving into the level of cooperation between Maltese and European Union Courts.

During the seminar, Clarke presented a copy of the publication to Minister Attard and Chief Justice, Dr. Mark Chetcuti.