Momentum calls for protection of whistleblowers, stronger anti-SLAPP protection for journalists and civil society and an end to secret cabinet decisions

Momentum today published a further three proposals focused on opening up government decision-making, protecting those who report wrongdoing, and ending the use of the courts as a tool of intimidation against journalists and civil society.

Full legal immunity for whistleblowers

Those who report wrongdoing in good faith must never face retaliation for doing so. Momentum will introduce full legal immunity for whistleblowers, ensuring that people who expose corruption, misconduct, or abuse of power are protected rather than punished. Fear of personal consequences remains one of the biggest barriers to accountability in Malta. This proposal removes it.

Stronger anti-SLAPP protections for journalists and civil society

Strategic lawsuits against public participation are being used to silence reporters, activists, and NGOs through the threat of ruinous legal costs. EU-level rules exist, but Malta’s domestic protection is inadequate. Momentum will extend anti-SLAPP protections to domestic cases with higher penalties for those who pursue lawsuits designed to intimidate rather than to vindicate a genuine legal wrong.

End automatic cabinet secrecy

Cabinet discussions are currently secret by default, including decisions that have nothing to do with national security. The public cannot see how major choices affecting their lives are made, or on what basis. Momentum will push to end this automatic secrecy and Cabinet decisions will be open unless a genuine, specific national security justification applies. A government that hides its reasoning is a government that cannot be properly challenged.

“A journalist who can be sued into silence is not a free journalist. A public servant who risks their job to report wrongdoing deserves protection, not prosecution. And a cabinet that keeps ordinary policy decisions hidden from the public it is supposed to serve has something to hide,” said Prof. Pierre Schembri Wismayer, Momentum’s candidate in 7 and 10th districts. “These three proposals are about the same thing: accountability requires that people can see, speak, and report without fear.”

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