Prime Minister Robert Abela has indicated that Judge Miriam Hayman is the Government’s nominee for Chief Justice, though he stopped short of formally confirming it, insisting that discussions remain at a sensitive stage.Speaking to journalists outside Parliament yesterday evening, Abela referred to reports earlier this week naming Hayman as the Government’s proposed candidate.“We put forward the name that was reported in the media,” he said, adding that it is “almost a public fact by now”.Several news outlets had reported days earlier that Hayman was the Government’s proposed nominee for Chief Justice. Within 24 hours, it was also reported that the Opposition had put forward Judge Lawrence Mintoff.Despite referencing the widely reported nomination, the Prime Minister did not explicitly confirm that Hayman had been formally put forward. Instead, he stressed that discussions on Malta’s next Chief Justice are at “a delicate stage”, urging restraint and calm as negotiations between the Government and the Opposition continue. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)He expressed hope that the Nationalist Party would decide “today” whether it agrees with the proposed candidate.“Discussions are currently in a delicate stage and if there’s the possibility that they can reach a decision, we should do everything within our power to get there, devoid of political games,” he said.Abela insisted that the work of the Courts has not been affected by the ongoing deadlock. He pointed out that Mark Chetcuti continues to preside over the Courts, ensuring continuity while a successor is agreed.He described the Courts as operating with “great efficiency” and maintained that their work “was in no way impacted throughout this process”.The Prime Minister emphasised that the appointment must proceed with what he described as the necessary serenity, reiterating that the process should remain free from partisan manoeuvring.During the exchange, Abela was asked why similar discretion was not afforded to Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera, the Government’s first nominee, whose name became public before failing to secure the required support in Parliament.He defended the earlier move, arguing that nominating Scerri Herrera before Chetcuti was due to retire avoided what he described as a potential constitutional crisis.“In nominating Scerri Herrera, a constitutional crisis was avoided simply because the Government put forward her name before the Chief Justice was set to leave office,” Abela said.Scerri Herrera failed to obtain the required two-thirds majority in Parliament.According to the Prime Minister, failing to act before the retirement date could have created uncertainty about whether Chetcuti should remain in office or whether a new Chief Justice needed to be appointed immediately.“If we hadn’t done this, we would have an entirely different situation today where you would have doubt as to whether Chetcuti should remain in office or whether a new Chief Justice should be appointed,” he said.Under constitutional reforms introduced in 2020, appointing a Chief Justice requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority. With no confirmed cross-party agreement in place, the process remains at a standstill.In recent days, criticism has been directed at both sides. The Government has been accused of risking politicisation, while the Opposition has been criticised for contributing to the deadlock by withholding support.With neither side confirming that a two-thirds majority has been secured in Parliament, Malta remains without a formally appointed Chief Justice as negotiations continue behind closed doors.What do you think of this?•