The Justice Ministry has condemned comments directed at Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg and Malta’s institutions following the verdict in the Yorgen Fenech trial over the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.In a statement, the ministry said this was not the time for “partisan and disparaging comments”, attacks or insults against the country’s institutions, insisting the matter should instead be approached with maturity and caution.The statement comes days after Fenech was found not guilty on both charges against him following a 55-day jury trial, with jurors returning an 8-1 verdict on each charge.The ministry stressed that court decisions must be respected and institutions allowed to carry out their duties, particularly while further legal proceedings could still be pursued.It argued that the rule of law does not mean politicians deciding who should be prosecuted, convicted or acquitted, but rather allowing investigators, prosecutors and courts to carry out their respective roles independently.The ministry also defended the government’s record on judicial reform, pointing to changes in judicial appointments and an increase in the number of members of the judiciary from 43 in 2020 to 62 today.“This Government has chosen a consistent path: strengthening institutions without interfering in their decisions,” the ministry said, adding that investigators would continue to receive the resources required to carry out work ordered by the court.•