The Caruana Galizia family
Her husband and sons gave evidence on the threats and pressures she faced, on the libel actions against her, and on the conduct of the authorities before and after the killing.
Public inquiry
The independent public inquiry into the assassination
The board of inquiry was appointed in 2019 after sustained calls from the Caruana Galizia family, Maltese civil society, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. Its terms of reference required it to establish whether the state knew or ought to have known of a risk to Daphne Caruana Galizia's life and whether it failed to take steps to avoid it.
The board presented its report to Prime Minister Robert Abela on 29 July 2021. The report runs to several hundred pages and was published in Maltese, with an English translation.
Board of inquiry
- Mr Justice Michael Mallia (chair)
- Chief Justice Emeritus Joseph Said Pullicino
- Madam Justice Abigail Lofaro
The report
What the board found
The findings below are the board's conclusions, as recorded in its report. Where the wording is an editor's summary rather than a direct quotation, the card says so. The board's conclusions are findings of a public inquiry, not criminal verdicts.
Responsibility of the state
Editor's summaryThe board found no evidence that the state as such had a hand in the assassination, but concluded that the state must bear responsibility because it created an atmosphere of impunity, generated from the highest levels within the Office of the Prime Minister, which spread to other entities such as regulatory institutions and the police.
Conclusions of the board, section on state responsibility - Board of Inquiry (Malta): official report, English translation: Report of the Public Inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia (English translation)
Culture of impunity
Editor's summaryThe board described a collapse of the rule of law in which persons close to the centre of power were shielded from scrutiny, and found that this culture of impunity was a precondition for the assassination.
Conclusions of the board, section on the rule of law - Bhatt Murphy Solicitors (published translation): Public inquiry report: English translation of conclusions
Failure to assess and manage the risk
Editor's summaryThe board found that the state failed to recognise the risks to which the journalist was exposed and did not take reasonable steps to protect her, despite the nature of her reporting and the pressures she was under.
Conclusions of the board, section on protection of the journalist - Board of Inquiry (Malta): official report, English translation: Report of the Public Inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia (English translation)
Hostility towards the journalist
Editor's summaryThe board examined the volume of libel actions against Caruana Galizia, the freezing of her assets in a precautionary garnishee order, and the public denigration of her work, and treated these as part of the environment in which she was killed.
Conclusions of the board, sections on libel actions and the media environment - Board of Inquiry (Malta): official report, English translation: Report of the Public Inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia (English translation)
Recommendations
Editor's summaryThe board recommended constitutional and legislative reform to protect journalists and journalism, including recognition of journalism in the constitution, anti-SLAPP measures, reform of freedom of information and defamation law, stronger regulation of political financing and conflicts of interest, and structural changes to how public institutions are appointed and held to account.
Recommendations of the board, final part of the report - Board of Inquiry (Malta): official report, English translation: Report of the Public Inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia (English translation)
Who gave evidence
The board heard evidence in public sittings between 2019 and 2021. The list below records categories of witnesses documented in the report and in contemporaneous reporting; it is not a complete witness roll. The full record of sittings is in the report itself.
Serving and former government figures
The board heard from ministers and officials, including former prime minister Joseph Muscat and former chief of staff Keith Schembri, on what was known within the Office of the Prime Minister. Both denied wrongdoing in connection with the assassination.
Police and security officials
Senior police officers and security service officials gave evidence on intelligence about threats, on the handling of earlier reports made by the journalist, and on the conduct of the investigation.
Regulators and institutions
Officials from financial and regulatory bodies gave evidence about how the matters Caruana Galizia reported were, or were not, acted upon.
Journalists and civil society
Maltese and international journalists and civil society representatives gave evidence on the conditions for reporting in Malta and on the treatment of her work.
What followed the report
Government response and media reform
The government set up a committee of experts on media reform and later brought forward media bills and anti-SLAPP transposition. Press freedom organisations said the package did not implement the board's recommendations in full.
European Parliament follow-up
The Parliament returned to the inquiry's recommendations in its 2023 resolution and in press statements marking the anniversaries of the assassination.
Commission monitoring
The Malta chapters of the annual Rule of Law Report track implementation of the inquiry's recommendations.