VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Parliament has approved a new law introducing electronic tagging for criminal offenders, with the system set to roll out in the coming weeks, the Home Affairs Ministry announced.
The law permits electronic monitoring as an alternative to imprisonment in specific cases involving sentences of less than one year. It will also apply to individuals on parole or prison leave.
According to the ministry, the reform aims to reduce reoffending rates, enhance community safety, and support the rehabilitation of offenders through flexible and modern control methods.
“This is an important reform to create a more modern, secure justice system that balances community safety with rehabilitation,” the ministry stated. The proposal was initially tabled in Parliament in December. Electronic tagging has been discussed for over a decade, with early calls for its introduction in 2012 and in multiple court judgments.
The ministry said a central system has already been installed and tested. Infrastructure, staff training, and equipment checks are in advanced stages. Minister Camilleri emphasized that the reform was victim-centred, supported by the newly established Agency for Victims of Crime, which offers legal and emotional support. “We are using modern tools to ensure justice is both effective and fair,” he said.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
