Press Statement: A major step in Malta’s human rights development

aditus foundation is very happy to welcome the recent announcement by the Minister for Justice, Dialogue and the Family regarding legal amendments broadening hate crimes legislation.  The proposed amendments will extend current legislation to cover crimes based on homophobia, transphobia and other grounds such as disability.

aditus Director Dr. Neil Falzon:  “This is a clear statement condemning acts of violence committed out of discrimination against particularly vulnerable groups.  We are particularly happy to see the inclusion of gender identity as a protected ground, putting Malta at the forefront of recognising and tackling the difficult and often violent situations faced by transgender persons simply because they are perceived to be different.”    

The organisation also welcomes the extension of the remit of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE), mandating it to formally deal with discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  This means that NCPE will now include these two important grounds in all of its activities, including research, awareness raising, advocacy and training.  From the perspective of victims of discrimination, these measures guarantee a further source of redress against individuals and agencies discriminating on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“The possibility to seek effective redress for human rights violations is central to the very nature of human rights protection.  We’re looking forward to NCPE’s involvement in these areas in order to better understand the extent of such discrimination in Malta and to devise strategies to combat it, together.”

aditus underlines that these amendments are the result of on-going advocacy efforts by several organisations, and a strong sign of the important role played by non-governmental organisations in the promotion of human rights in Malta.

“We stand ready to support their implementation through training activities targeting governmental officials, police officers and other interested and relevant stakeholders.”