The Family Court reforms launched in February 2026 represent a welcome and long-overdue commitment to efficiency, fairness, and above all, the best interests of Malta’s children. With promises of an autonomous court, clearer procedures, reduced delays, stronger co-parenting focus, and dedicated infrastructure, these changes aim to heal families rather than prolong their suffering.
Yet one persistent obstacle risks rendering the entire reform effort hollow: the continued assignment of Judge Jacqueline Padovani Grima to Family Court cases.
Jacqueline Padovani Grima
Credible and repeated concerns have been raised about her handling of proceedings. These include:
- Applications filed by fathers often facing prolonged delays or remaining undecided without proper notification, while those from mothers are frequently expedited, sometimes without notifying the other party.
- Social workers’ reports appearing to be accepted with little scrutiny when they disadvantage the father, while evidence and submissions from male litigants receive markedly less weight.
- Maintenance decrees that many legal practitioners describe as disproportionate and excessive.
- A consistent pattern where interim orders granted early in favour of one party become effectively permanent over the multi-year lifespan of cases, even when circumstances change or when they may not serve the child’s long-term welfare.
- Most troublingly, the voices of the minor children themselves too often remain unheard throughout protracted proceedings.
These issues are not isolated anecdotes. They have been brought to the attention of the authorities through formal complaints, yet no visible action has followed.
The Chief Justice, as the head of the judiciary, bears ultimate responsibility for safeguarding public confidence in the Family Court, especially at this pivotal moment of reform. Public trust depends on the perception, and the reality, of impartiality and procedural fairness for all parties.
Maintaining the status quo undermines the very goals the reform seeks to achieve: swift, child-centred justice that prioritises genuine co-parenting and minimises conflict and harm.
Mark Chetcuti
We therefore respectfully but urgently call upon the Chief Justice to act decisively. Reassign Judge Padovani Grima from Family Court matters without further delay. Allow the reforms a genuine chance to succeed by ensuring that every judge presiding over these sensitive cases demonstrates consistent fairness, diligence in hearing both sides, and a clear commitment to listening to the children involved.
Malta’s families, and particularly its children deserve nothing less. The opportunity for meaningful change is before us. Let us not squander it through inaction.
