Promotion for Zammit Lewis in further doubt as grilling postponed

The grilling of Edward Zammit Lewis on whether he is to be accepted as a Judge at the European Court of Justice has been postponed for a second time, casting further doubt about his suitability for the post.

While Zammit Lewis had to appear before the Article 255 Committee last October to evaluate whether he was fit and proper to occupy the post, his grilling has now been postponed to December.

While no official reason was given for this latest development, sources said it seemed that both the Maltese government and the EU’s committee of experts are getting cold feet about Malta’s nominee due to his baggage and perceived lack of qualities and qualifications to fill this role.

Whatsapp chats revealed Zammit Lewis’s close relations with Yorgen Fenech during his time as a minister. Fenech is accused of commissioning the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.

Zammit Lewis sailed through the local assessment organised by the justice ministry and led by retired Judge Antonio Mizzi, husband of former Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi. But he will be facing a completely different ball game in Luxembourg.

The Article 255 committee, composed of former ECJ Judges and other European law experts, will need to approve the Maltese nominee to be selected for the six-year post.

While Zammit Lewis is thought to have legal experience in Malta due to his short stint as justice minister, his understanding of EU law and his command of the French language, a crucial asset for the job, are very limited.

His political baggage, which various civil society organisations have already pointed out to the Article 255 Committee, continues to dampen his chances.

In previous years, the same EU committee rejected several Maltese nominees for the post who were far more experienced than Zammit Lewis. These included retired Judge Joseph Filletti and former Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri.

Although the Article 255 committee is known for its technical acumen, political manoeuvres and horse trading are not excluded in ECJ corridors.