Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici
Encyclopedia
Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici (born February 17, 1960) is the Minister for Justice and Home Affairs of Malta. He was first elected as a member Member of Parliament
House of Representatives of Malta
The House of Representatives is the unicameral legislature of Malta and a component of the Parliament of Malta.The House is composed of an odd number of members elected for a five year term...

 in 1998. He was subsequently appointed as Parliamentary Secretary within the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs in 2003 and confirmed in the same post in 2004. Following the March 2008 election
Maltese general election, 2008
The latest Maltese general election for the renewal of the House of Representatives of Malta was held on March 8, 2008. The incumbent ruling party the Christian democratic Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, narrowly won over the social democratic Malta Labour Party led by...

 he was appointed as Minister for Justice and Home Affairs.

Background, education and family

Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, the son of former President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici
Ugo Mifsud Bonnici
Dr Ugo Mifsud Bonnici was the fifth President of Malta from 1994 to 1999.-Early life, education, and family:He was born in Cospicua as the son of Professor Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici LL.D and Maria Ross. He was educated at the Lyceum and the Royal University of Malta. He graduated as a Bachelor of...

, was born in Floriana, Malta
Floriana
Floriana is a town in Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. Floriana is the birthplace of many famous Maltese, amongst which the composer of the national anthem, 'L-Innu Malti', Robert Samut; former Bishop of Malta Dom Mauro Caruana, the poet Oliver Friggieri, and Swedish Idol winner...

. He was educated at St. Aloysius’ College, Birkirkara, then at De La Salle College in Cospicua
Cospicua
Ċittà Cottonera, Ċittà Cospicua, Cospicua is a double-fortified harbour city on the Mediterranean island of Malta. It is the largest of the Three Cities. It was also given a title as Citta' Cottonera, but erroneously the title is now used to define the whole region...

 and at the University of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...

 from where he graduated as Doctor of Laws in 1984.

As lawyer, he practiced in criminal, civil and commercial fields. At present, he is a senior lecturer in Roman Law at the University of Malta. Dr Mifsud Bonnici occupied the post of President of the MKSU as a university student and was active in the Nationalist Party Youth Movement (MZPN) since 1982, occupying different posts in the executive of the said movement.

Bonnici is a distant relative of former Prime Minister Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici
Carmelo Bonnici was the Prime Minister of Malta from 1984 to 1987. He is a member of the Labour Party. He studied law at the University of Malta and is known to be an expert in industrial relations law.-Early politics:Mifsud Bonnici was from a family that staunchly supported the Partit...

. He is married to Sandra née’ Gatt and they have three children: Clemente, Anselmo and Gregorio.

Early political career

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998 and 2003 in the interest of the Partit Nazzjonalista (Nationalist Party). In 1998 he was appointed by Parliament as Chairman of Committees and was a permanent member of a number of other Committees such as the Privileges and Laws.

He was a Board Member of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority between October 2001 and March 2003.

Cabinet appointments

In April 2003, he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs.

Following the swearing-in of Lawrence Gonzi
Lawrence Gonzi
Lawrence Gonzi is a Maltese politician who has been Prime Minister of Malta since 2004. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta from 1988 to 1996, Minister of Social Policy from 1998 to 1999, and Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2004...

as Prime Minister and the subsequent Cabinet reshuffle in March 2004, Mifsud Bonnici was re-confirmed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs. During this period he drove the implementation of several reforms and introduction of new concepts in the Maltese judicial system.

After the March 2008 general election, Mifsud Bonnici was appointed as Minister for Justice and Home Affairs. His portfolio includes the responsibility for the Courts of Justice, the Attorney General's Office, the Police Corps, Immigration, Airport Security, Correctional Services, Civil Protection and Data Protection.

In February 2009, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici unveiled the White Paper on Restorative Justice which is intended to serve as a basis for public discussion for a deep reform in Malta's penal system. It proposes the introduction of a number of new concepts, including parole, which is as yet unavailable in Malta.

Literary works

Mifsud Bonnici is the author of three publications ‘Żewg Minuti Flimkien’ (1998), ‘Il-Prinċipji Hemm Jibqgħu’ (2003) and “Sens u Sustanza” (2008).

He also writes weekly columns in the Sunday papers Il-Mument and Illum.
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