The youngest daughter of former Justice Minister Jose’ Herrera, Martina Herrera, has been re-appointed by the government as a Commissioner for Justice for another two-year term.
Announced through the Government Gazette, Justice Minister Jonathan Attard appointed Herrera, in her early 30s, as a Justice Commissioner until 2025, a role that will see her earn an additional €11,000 a year on top of her income as a lawyer in her father’s private law firm.
This is not the first government appointment for the young Herrera. Apart from serving as Justice Commissioner continuously since 2017, just months after graduating as a lawyer, she was appointed to the board of another government agency – Air Malta Aviation Services Ltd.
After losing his seat in Parliament following the last elections, her father, Jose’, has also been given a new government appointment.
Prime Minister Abela gave Jose’ Herrera the chairmanship of the Community Malta Agency. This government organisation is responsible for the lucrative cash-for-passports programme, which is now being contested through a legal challenge by the European Commission.
Commissioner’s list omitted from government website
No information is currently publicly available on the list of Justice Commissioners presiding on cases connected to traffic, litter, and other contraventions issued by wardens on behalf of local councils.
While until recently, the Justice Ministry used to publish the names of the Commissioners on its website, the names of the current Commissioners have disappeared.
The site where the Commissioner’s names are supposed to be listed was left empty by the Justice Ministry
Unlike other judiciary members, Commissioners are appointed directly by the government without any scrutiny or due diligence process, and no public calls are issued before such appointments.
One of the current Commissioners, Alessandro Lia, son of Labour’s lawyer Pawlu Lia and a constitutional Broadcasting Authority member, is facing criminal charges while still acting as a Justice Commissioner.
The MLP way. Either being a “family” member, or a criminal, are the PERFECT qualifications for a taxpayer funded job.
This perhaps stresses the point that were it not for their contacts in positions of power, these people would have achieved nothing on their own steam. Malta is truly a case study of the triumph of idiocy and incompetence over talent and hard work. No wonder the high fliers are leaving in their droves.
I would consider the word “Justice” to be a misnomer here, leech or parasite comes to mind