Aquilina studied at St Aloysius College and graduated as Doctor of Laws from the University of Malta (2004) with a thesis titled “The Principle of Equality of Arms in Maltese Criminal Law” in which Aquilina provides a detailed examination of the principle of equality of arms as part of the general right to a fair trial as guaranteed by section 39 of the Maltese Constitution and Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.