The 2026 Family Court reforms were launched with high hopes for faster, fairer, and more child-focused justice in Malta.
However, these important changes cannot succeed while Judge Jacqueline Padovani Grima continues to preside over Family Court cases.
Jacqueline Padovani Grima
Credible concerns persist: fathers’ applications face repeated delays and often receive no notification, while mothers’ requests are frequently granted — sometimes without hearing the other side.
Maintenance decrees are widely seen as excessive, and once issued, they remain largely unchanged for years. Most troubling is the consistent lack of attention given to the voices and wishes of the minor children themselves.
These patterns risk undermining public confidence in the entire reform process.
Mark Chetcuti
Chief Justice, the responsibility rests with you. For the sake of Malta’s families and especially its children, please reassign Judge Padovani Grima from Family Court matters without further delay.
Only then can the reforms have a genuine chance to deliver the impartial and efficient justice they promise.
