Toni Abela’s new government contract kept secret

A new government job contract awarded to retired Judge Toni Abela for his role as the country’s Standards Commissioner for the judiciary is being kept hidden, with neither the Justice Ministry nor the Office of the President willing to make it public, despite Freedom of Information rules.

The 68-year-old former Labour deputy leader, who was handed the new post immediately after his retirement from the judiciary, told The Shift that it was not his responsibility to disclose how much he is being paid from public funds.

Yet the law establishing the Office of the Standards Commissioner for the Judiciary clearly states that the post carries a financial package, funded by taxpayers and determined by the Commission for the Administration of Justice.

That Commission falls directly under the remit of the Office of the President and is chaired by President Myriam Spiteri Debono, a notary by profession.

Despite this, a Freedom of Information request submitted by The Shift to obtain a copy of Abela’s contract was rejected by the Office of the President, which claimed it “does not have a copy in its possession”.

When The Shift pointed out that the Commission for the Administration of Justice forms part of the Office of the President, the response remained unchanged. The Office reiterated its position and again refused to publish the contract.

A separate FOI request sent to the Justice Ministry was also deflected, with the Ministry transferring responsibility back to the Office of the President, identifying it as the public authority responsible for Abela’s financial package.

According to the 2026 budget estimates, the Office of the Standards Commissioner for the Judiciary is listed under the Office of the President and allocated a budget of €400,000. The Commission for the Administration of Justice is also listed under the same office.

Contacted by The Shift, Abela refused to publish his contract, including details of any perks or benefits attached to the role. Instead, he referred all questions back to the Office of the President.

Unlike the law governing the Standards Commissioner for Public Life – which explicitly ties the commissioner’s remuneration to that of a judge in the superior courts – the legislation creating the judiciary’s watchdog makes no such provision regarding salary or benefits.

Abela’s appointment was made by Prime Minister Robert Abela just weeks after the former Labour deputy leader reached the mandatory retirement age of 68.

Earlier in the summer, only weeks before Abela was due to retire, the Labour government attempted to amend the law to raise the retirement age for judges from 68 to 70. The move was widely seen as an effort to accommodate Abela’s wishes.

However, the proposed changes failed due to the lack of the required parliamentary majority.

Instead, a new post was created – the Office of the Standards Commissioner for the Judiciary – providing Abela with a fresh government appointment.

Toni Abela’s term runs for three years and may be renewed for a further term.