Prime Minister Robert Abela’s appointment of Richard Matrenza, an 89-year-old veteran of the Labour Party, as one of the ‘independent judges’ responsible for deciding complex appeals related to multi-million-euro public contracts, has been met with criticism.

This appointment came after recent changes to the law to allow the prime minister greater control over appeals against decisions to assign contracts to those close to the Labour Party.

Born in October 1936, Matrenza had a long career in industrial relations. He served as a consultant to the General Workers Union (GWU) and was the Chair of the Industrial Tribunal.

In 2019, a lawyers’ association criticised Matrenza’s handling of the tribunal as erratic and called for his removal from that position.

His latest appointment, published in the Government Gazette last week, surprised senior officials at the Public Contracts Review Board (PCRB) and various lawyers who appear before the board, many of whom described it as “bizarre.”

“We have absolutely nothing against active ageing. However, the appointment of an 89-year-old to a quasi-judicial role is a bit too much,” one source said.

In Malta, judges retire at 68 – over 20 years younger than Matrenza. Many countries impose age limits on judicial roles, with few exceeding the 75-year-old threshold, except in the United States.

Members of the PCRB are appointed by the prime minister to review appeals from companies that feel aggrieved by the government and its agencies regarding the assignment of tenders and contracts.

Decisions made by the PCRB can be reviewed by the Court of Appeal, which has the final say.