Hon. Dr. Jonathan Attard serves as Malta’s Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment, having been appointed in June 2026. Prior to this role, he served as Minister for Justice and Reform of the Construction Sector, overseeing key institutions within the justice, construction, property, and occupational health and safety sectors. During his ministerial tenure, he led a broad programme of legislative, constitutional, and regulatory reforms aimed at strengthening governance, improving the administration of justice, and raising standards within the construction industry. He is currently responsible for Malta’s infrastructure, planning, and employment policy.
During the previous legislature, he steered a significant number of bills through Parliament, alongside an extensive body of subsidiary legislation. In the justice sector, reforms included amendments to the legal framework governing magisterial inquiries, introducing stronger safeguards for victims, greater accountability, and more efficient procedures; reforms to family law and the Drug Court; the expansion of second-chance measures; and the continued specialisation of the courts, including the establishment of the Commercial Court. He also oversaw constitutional amendments that strengthened the governance and accountability framework of the judiciary, including the establishment of the Commissioner for Standards in the Judiciary. During his tenure, Malta witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of judges and magistrates, aimed at improving the efficiency of the courts and reducing delays in the administration of justice. A new technologically equipped courtroom was also inaugurated, enabling simultaneous criminal jury trials to be heard for the first time in Malta. In the construction sector, he oversaw the enactment of a new Occupational Health and Safety framework, the introduction of licensing requirements for contractors, the reform of the masonry licensing system, and the development of support services for residents affected by construction activity.
Before joining Cabinet, Dr. Attard practised law before the Maltese Courts, specialising in Civil Law, Public Law, Property Law, Planning Law, and Corporate Law. His professional experience included work in legislative drafting, governance, and public administration.
Dr. Attard was co-opted to the House of Representatives in July 2021 following unanimous support from the Parliamentary Group and National Executive of the Labour Party. He was subsequently elected to Parliament in the 2022 General Election.
During his parliamentary service, he served as Head of Malta’s Delegation to the Council of Europe and was later elected Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He also served on a number of parliamentary committees, including the Public Accounts Committee.
Prior to entering Parliament, Dr. Attard held various roles within the public sector, including positions within the Ministry for the Economy, Investment and Small Business and as liaison officer between the Ministry and Malta Enterprise. He contributed to several legislative reforms, including the 2018 constitutional amendments and the legislation that extended voting rights in national elections to 16-year-olds.
In June 2018, he was appointed to the Technical Committee for the Advancement of Representative Democracy, advising the Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms, Citizenship and Simplification of Administrative Processes within the Office of the Prime Minister. In this role, he contributed to the drafting of constitutional amendments and other legislative reforms.
Dr. Attard graduated from the University of Malta with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 2011 and a Diploma of Notary Public in 2012. He obtained a Doctor of Laws degree in 2014 and in 2015 he obtained his warrant exam and started practising with the Courts of Malta. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Social Studies from the University of Malta.
Prior to his legal and political career, Dr. Attard worked in the media sector, where he built a career as a senior journalist, current affairs programme host, and news anchor. He was also actively involved in the General Workers’ Union.
Throughout his career, Dr. Attard has combined experience in media, law, legislative reform, and public service. As Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment, he continues to focus on infrastructure development, planning policy, and employment matters in support of Malta’s economic and social development.