The Honourable Jonathan Attard was appointed as Minister for Justice in March 2022, and in 2023, the reform of the construction sector was added to his portfolio. His responsibilities include overseeing the Courts of Justice, the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the State Advocate, the Government Notary, Data Protection and Freedom of Information, the Building and Construction Authority, the Occupational Health and Safety Authority, Property Malta, and the newly established Property Market Agency.
As Minister for Justice and for the reform of the construction sector, his priorities include implementing reforms that promote an effective justice system delivered in a timely manner. He has applied the same approach to the construction sector, where, in the initial months of his role, he introduced a new law on Health and Safety at Work, established new regulations for the licensing of masons, and launched several new services for citizens affected by construction activities.
Before becoming a Minister, Dr. Attard practised law before the Maltese courts, specialising in civil law, public law, property law, planning law, and corporate law.
Dr. Jonathan Attard was co-opted into Parliament for the first time in July 2021, following unanimous support from the Labour Party Parliamentary Group and the National Executive. He successfully contested the General Elections for the first time in March 2022. During his tenure as a Member of Parliament under the previous administration, he served as the Head of Parliament’s delegation to the Council of Europe and was later elected Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Additionally, Dr. Attard was active in various parliamentary committees, including the Public Accounts Committee.
Before becoming a minister, Dr. Attard held various positions in the public sector, including roles within the Ministry for the Economy, Investment, and Small Business, and later served as a liaison officer between that ministry and Malta Enterprise. He has been entrusted by the Government of Malta with several legislative reforms, including the constitutional amendments of 2018 and laws granting the right to vote to 16-year-olds in national elections.
On 5 June 2018, he was appointed a member of the Technical Committee for the Advancement of Representative Democracy to advise the Office of the Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms, Citizenship, and Simplification of Administrative Processes within the Office of the Prime Minister. He was subsequently tasked with drafting the bill to amend the Constitution of Malta.
Additionally, he has a diverse background in journalism, having worked as a journalist, senior journalist, news anchor, and as both presenter and producer of current affairs programmes. He has also been actively involved in trade unionism.
Dr. Jonathan Attard graduated from the University of Malta with a Bachelor of Laws in 2011 and obtained a Diploma of Notary Public in 2012. He earned his Doctor of Laws degree in 2014 and was called to the Bar in 2015. His doctoral thesis focused on public law and addressed the topic of “Increased Accountability of Members of Parliament.” In 2004, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Social Studies from the University of Malta.