"All police interrogations of suspects will be filmed and recorded under a new bill that also introduces the concept of legal representation during interrogation for the first time in Malta.

Under the provisions of the bill – which parliament started debating on Monday – police will no longer be able to interrogate suspects without the presence of a lawyer, according to Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.

The minister said the right to effective legal aid was recognised in all other EU member states and that the bill sought to guarantee the suspect’s rights without hindering police investigative powers.

He said that this right to a lawyer during interrogation would complement the many other amendments and rights that had already been introduced by this administration in the field of criminal justice, such as the introduction of pleas bargaining, informing suspects of their rights while under arrest, and the adoption of a citizens’ charter by the law courts."

Full article: http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/71399/parties_agree_on_legal_aid_for_suspects_facing_police_interrogation#.WDcfDdUrKJB