Jonathan Attard MP (born on 7 May 1984) is a Maltese lawyer and politician. A former journalist, he is currently serving as Malta’s Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector Minister,[1] since March 2022.
MP Jonathan Attard | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector of Malta | |
| Assumed office 26 March 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Zammit Lewis |
| Member of Parliament | |
| Assumed office 14 July 2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 May 1984 Tarxien, Malta |
| Political party | Labour |
| Education | University of Malta |
Education
editAttard earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Social Studies in 2004. Subsequently, he then graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2011, and after that year with a Diploma of Notary Public. Following that, he obtained a Doctor of Laws degree and a year after, in 2015, he was called to the Bar. His research for his doctoral thesis focused on Public Law and examined the topic of "Increased Accountability on Members of Parliament".[2] He obtained all his qualifications from the University of Malta.
Professional career
editBefore his appointment as a Cabinet Minister, Attard worked as a lawyer in the Maltese Courts of Justice, mainly specializing in legal areas of Civil Law, Public Law, Property Law, Planning Law, and Corporate Law.
Additionally, he held several positions in the public sector prior to his appointment as a minister. He served as the Communications Coordinator for the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, and later as a liaison officer between that ministry and Malta Enterprise.
Dr. Attard has been given various responsibilities by the Government of Malta, including overseeing legislative reforms such as the 2018 Constitutional amendments and the introduction of the right to vote for 16-year-olds in National Elections.
On June 5, 2018, he was appointed a member of the Technical Committee for the Advancement of Representative Democracy, advising the office of the Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms, Citizenship and Simplification of Administrative Processes within the Office of the Office of the Prime Minister. He was also given the task of drafting a bill to amend the Constitution of Malta.
Political Career and Member of the Parliament of Malta
editFollowing unanimous support by the Labour Party Parliamentary Group and the National Executive, Jonathan Attard was co-opted in parliament for the first time in July 2021.[3] During his first tenure as a Member of Parliament, between July 2021 and March 2022, Attard was appointed Head of Parliament's Delegation to the Council of Europe, following which he was elected vice-president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. As a Member of Parliament, Attard was also involved in various parliamentary committees including the Public Accounts Committee.[4] Attard successfully contested the General Election for the first time in March 2022 and was elected to the House of Representatives. In November 2022, he was appointed a member within an action group of Commonwealth Justice Ministers.[5]
Minister for Justice
editFollowing the 2022 General Election, Attard was appointed Minister for Justice by Prime Minister Robert Abela.[6]
During his first 100 days in office, Attard tabled a motion in parliament to introduce the femicide law in Malta. This bill passed all committee stages after it was unanimously approved in parliament.[7]
Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector
editIn January 2024, Minister Attard was entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the Reform of the Construction Sector alongside his role as minister for justice.[8]
Upon being entrusted with spearheading the reform efforts in the construction sector in January 2024, Attard prioritised the introduction of a new Health and Safety law to the Maltese Parliament. The existing legislation, which had been in place for over 20 years, had been a subject of lengthy discussions due to the need for change. In the first six months of his appointment, Attard coordinated the finalisation and delivery of the long-awaited Health and Safety bill. Recognising the necessity for a significant update, he ensured that the new law was approved, unanimously, by the Parliament of Malta in July 2024.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Who's who: Your guide to Robert Abela's cabinet of ministers". Times of Malta. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Increased accountability on members of Parliament". um.edu.mt. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Jonathan Attard co-opted to Parliament, replacing Manuel Mallia". the malta independent. 14 July 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Public Accounts Committee Thirteenth Legislature (2017 - 2022)". parlament.mt/. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
- ^ "Malta's Justice Minister appointed on Commonwealth Ministers' Action Group". tvmnews.com.mt. 26 November 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Who's who: Your guide to Robert Abela's cabinet of ministers". timesofmalta.com.mt. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Femicide bill unanimously approved, clears all Parliament hurdles". themaltaindependent.com.mt. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
- ^ "Your guide to Robert Abela's new Cabinet". maltatoday.com.mt. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "Health and Safety at Work Bill unanimously passed in Parliament". independent.com.mt. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2023.