Alex Borg has proposed introducing an anti-deadlock mechanism to address the ongoing impasse over the appointment of Malta’s next Chief Justice.In a video published on social media, the Opposition Leader outlined two proposals aimed at resolving the current stalemate between government and Opposition.First, Borg suggested that the current Chief Justice remain in office until agreement is reached on a successor. Under existing rules, outgoing Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti may remain in post until a replacement is formally appointed. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)Secondly, Borg proposed new legislation to introduce a mechanism designed to prevent future deadlocks in the appointment process. While he did not detail the specific structure of such a mechanism, he said it would still require agreement between both sides and would be included in the Nationalist Party’s electoral manifesto.The appointment of a Chief Justice requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament — a constitutional safeguard intended to ensure cross-party consensus. However, recent attempts to secure agreement have failed, with the Opposition voting down government nominees.Borg accused Prime Minister Robert Abela of disrupting the appointment process for partisan reasons. He said the government had not responded clearly to names put forward by the Opposition and had instead proposed alternative candidates without securing consensus.Justice Minister Jonathan Attard had earlier floated the idea of an anti-deadlock mechanism, also suggesting reforms to address potential stalemates.Borg also referred to the recent letter sent by Judge Lawrence Mintoff containing allegations related to the appointment process. He said the contents of the letter took him by surprise and reiterated that he has not met with members of the judiciary regarding the matter.Earlier this month, Prime Minister Robert Abela also publicly called for the introduction of an anti-deadlock mechanism after his nominee for Chief Justice failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in Parliament. Abela proposed that such a mechanism could apply not only to the appointment of the Chief Justice but also to other constitutionally entrenched posts, including the Auditor General, Deputy Auditor General and Ombudsman. He acknowledged at the time that introducing such a reform would itself require a two-thirds majority, as the relevant provisions are embedded in the Constitution.•