The Daphne Record

Reverse chronology

Timeline

Most recent developments first, running back to her earlier investigative work. Each entry links to published reporting or the primary record, carries an evidence excerpt with a locator, and shows how complete its citations are. Contested matters are marked as allegations. The current search and filters are stored in the page URL, so any view can be bookmarked or shared.

Showing 6 of 60 entries1 shown entry has at least one outlet-level citation to replace.
  1. Journalism & LeaksDeep-linked 2/2· 1 primary

    Malta placed 67th of 180 in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index

    Reporters Without Borders placed Malta 67th of 180 territories in the 2026 edition of its World Press Freedom Index, with a score of 61.44, unchanged in rank from 2025. RSF's index is the assessment of an advocacy organisation using its own indicators; Maltese reporting described the result as stagnation on press freedom reform.

    What the evidence shows (1)

    SummaryRSF's Malta country profile records the 2026 index position as 67/180 with a score of 61.44, and the 2025 position as 67/180 with a score of 62.96.
    Country profile, index scores panel: Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 2026 edition (opens in a new tab)
    Go deeperPress freedom recordTrace the people involved
    Sources
  2. Trial & JusticeDeep-linked 1/1

    Repubblika files a judicial protest over clean-up attempts at the memorial

    Repubblika filed a judicial protest against former Office of the Prime Minister official Neville Gafa over attempts to clear the protest memorial at the Great Siege monument, relying on the 2020 constitutional judgment that such clearances breached freedom of expression. Gafa has rejected the accusations made against him.

    What the evidence shows (1)

    SummaryThe NGO's judicial protest accused the former official of interfering with the protest memorial.
    Report on the judicial protest, 23 May 2025: The Malta Independent, 23 May 2025 (opens in a new tab)
    Go deeperTrace the people involved
    Sources
  3. Political FalloutDeep-linked 2/2

    Malta transposes the EU anti-SLAPP directive; media groups call the reform package weak

    Maltese state broadcasting reported that Malta was the first member state to transpose the EU anti-SLAPP directive into national law. Press freedom organisations and Maltese civil society said the accompanying media reform bills did not implement the public inquiry's recommendations in full, an assessment contested by the government.

    What the evidence shows (1)

    SummaryState broadcasting reported the transposition as a first among member states; The Shift News reported criticism from journalists and civil society that the wider media reform law fell short of the inquiry's recommendations.
    Transposition report and reform criticism, July-August 2024: The Shift News, 3 August 2024 (opens in a new tab)
    Go deeperPublic inquiry findingsPress freedom recordTrace the people involved
    Sources
  4. Trial & JusticeDeep-linked 2/2

    Court rules the clearing of the protest memorial breached freedom of expression

    A constitutional court found that the repeated clearing of the makeshift memorial at the Great Siege monument, ordered while Owen Bonnici was justice minister, breached the right to freedom of expression. The case was brought by blogger Manuel Delia, who campaigned alongside Repubblika and Occupy Justice; the judgment was cited by those groups in later disputes over the site.

    What the evidence shows (1)

    SummaryThe court held that the government's repeated removal of tributes at the monument breached the applicant's freedom of expression.
    Report on the judgment, 30 January 2020: MaltaToday, 30 January 2020 (opens in a new tab)
    Go deeperTrace the people involved
    Sources
  5. Journalism & LeaksDeep-linked 1/1

    Caruana Galizia fined €2,400 in a defamation judgment

    A Maltese court found Caruana Galizia liable for defaming a former Azzjoni Nazzjonali Repubblikana spokesman in two opinion pieces and fined her €2,400. It was one of a series of libel and defamation actions against her during this period, brought by figures across the political spectrum; her family and press-freedom groups later described the volume of suits as a pressure tactic.

    What the evidence shows (1)

    SummaryThe court fined her €2,400 over the description of the complainant in two published opinion pieces.
    Court report, 11 December 2015: The Malta Independent, 11 December 2015 (opens in a new tab)
    Go deeperTrace the people involved
    Sources
  6. Corruption CasePartly deep-linked 1/3

    "Running Commentary" and the corruption beat

    Through her blog Running Commentary, Caruana Galizia reported on political corruption, cronyism, procurement and rule-of-law concerns in Malta, building a large national readership. Her work made her the subject of numerous libel suits and, according to her family and press-freedom organisations, sustained harassment. Dated entries for this period are logged separately below; research continues.

    What the evidence shows (1)

    SummaryContemporaneous reporting recorded that she faced dozens of libel actions at the time of her death, several filed by serving politicians.
    Background section of the murder report: The Guardian, 16 October 2017 (opens in a new tab)
    Go deeperTrace the people involved
    Sources

Editorial note: this timeline now carries the criminal proceedings, the public inquiry and the press freedom record in one chronology. It is updated as appeals and further proceedings develop. Entries flagged “outlet-level only” still need a deep link to a specific article or court document.