OddsFrontCouncil of Europe inquiry opens scrutiny of Malta’s unfinished press-safety reforms
The first hearing examines institutional failures after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder as an EU assessment finds persistent gaps in corruption cases and journalist protections.
A new inquiry begins
A Council of Europe inquiry has opened into Malta’s judicial and institutional response to the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The Guardian reported on September 10 that special rapporteur Shami Chakrabarti used the first hearing to warn that incomplete reforms left Malta vulnerable to high-level corruption and continued risks to journalists. Caruana Galizia’s son Matthew and sister Corinne Vella were the first witnesses.
The hearing follows the September 2 acquittal of businessman Yorgen Fenech on charges connected to the murder. Fenech denied commissioning the killing, and the jury cleared him by an eight-to-one majority. The fresh development is the opening of the international inquiry, not a new account of the verdict. The inquiry will examine why recommendations from Malta’s earlier public investigation have not been fully implemented and is expected to take about a year.
Longstanding reforms remain incomplete
Malta’s public inquiry concluded that the state had fostered a climate of impunity even though it found no evidence of direct state participation in the assassination. Its recommendations included stronger laws against obstruction and official abuse, alongside institutional measures intended to protect journalists. The Guardian reports that several significant proposals remain unimplemented, while participants at the new hearing discussed possible pressure from European institutions.
The European Commission’s 2026 Rule of Law Report provides independent institutional context for those concerns. It found no further progress toward a robust record of final judgments in high-level corruption cases and only limited progress on safeguards for journalists and access to official documents. The Commission recommended faster corruption investigations, stronger journalist protections and measures to improve the efficiency of Malta’s courts.
The inquiry’s next phase will test whether it can identify specific legislative and institutional steps rather than simply revisit the murder trial. Attention will focus on media-safety laws, access to public information, court delays and accountability for senior-level corruption. Any proposal to condition EU funding would require separate action by EU institutions and has not been adopted. The hearing is a rule-of-law development, not an eligible strike or ceasefire alert.