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I will not rest until there is justice for Daphne, says Pieter Omtzigt, marking the 1,000th day since her murder

  • 10/07/2020
  • Legal Affairs and Human Rights

“Daphne’s brutal assassination continues to cast a dark shadow over Maltese public life,” said Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta, in a statement to mark 12 July 2020, the 1,000th day since her death... More

Pandemics and states of emergency: there should and need not be any tension between effectiveness and legality

  • 02/07/2020
  • Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Whilst a ‘state of emergency’ may allow for a more effective response to a major health crisis like that of COVID-19, it might also be potentially hazardous from the perspective of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. But according to the Committee on Legal Affairs, “there should and need... More

Drug policy: better knowledge for greater protection

  • 25/06/2020
  • Legal Affairs and Human Rights

On the occasion of World Drug Day and the Global Day of Action for the #SupportDontPunish Campaign, Assembly rapporteur Hannah Bardell (United Kingdom, NR) and rapporteur for opinion Joseph O’Reilly (Ireland, EPP/CD) called for European drug policies to be consistent with human rights standards... More

Rapporteur calls on Maltese authorities to make reforms real, end impunity and ensure justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia

  • 19/06/2020
  • Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta, today welcomed the Venice Commission’s opinion on the Maltese government’s reform proposals and expressed his concern at recent revelations about the Maltese police... More

'Increasing legal and political difficulties’ with implementing judgments of the Strasbourg Court, warns committee

  • 05/06/2020
  • Legal Affairs and Human Rights

PACE’s Legal Affairs Committee has expressed its concern at the “increasing legal and political difficulties” surrounding the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights - and again urged States Parties to the Convention to implement the Court’s binding judgments. Approving... More

Pieter Omtzigt calls on Malta to establish Joint Investigative Teams for cases of high-level political corruption

  • 29/05/2020
  • Legal Affairs and Human Rights

Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), Rapporteur for follow-up to Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 2293 (2019) on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta, today called on the Maltese authorities to ensure effective investigations into the numerous long-standing... More