Home | Databases | WorldLII | Search | Feedback Maltese Laws

Judicial Proceedings (Regulation of Reports) Act (Cap. 60) Consolidated

JU DICIAL PR OCEEDINGS (R EGUL AT IO N OF R E PORTS) [CAP. 60. 1

CHAPTER 60

JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS

(REGULATION OF REPORTS) ACT

To regulate the publication of reports of judicial proceedings in such manner as to prevent injury to public morals.

(17th July, 1927)*

ACT XXIX of 1927, as amended by Act XIII of 1948; Legal Notice 46 of

1965; Acts: LVIII of 1974, XXII of 1976 and XIII of 1983; and Legal Notice

408 of 2007.

l. The short title of this Act is the Judicial Proceedings

(Regulation of Reports) Act.

2. It shall not be lawful to print or publish, or cause or procure to be printed or published -

(a) in relation to any judicial proceedings, any indecent matter or indecent medical, surgical or physiological details being matter or details the publication of which would be calculated to injure public morals;
(b) in relation to any judicial proceedings for nullity of marriage or for judicial separation, or touching the effects arising from such nullity of marriage or judicial separation, any particulars other than the following, that is to say:
(i) the names, addresses and occupations of the parties and witnesses;
(ii) a concise statement of the charge or charges, statement of claim, defences or pleas and counter-charges or counter-claims in support of which evidence has been given;
(iii) submissions on any point of law arising in the course of the proceedings, whether criminal or civil, and the decision of the court thereon;
(iv) the summing-up of the judge and the finding of the jury (if any), and the judgment of the court and the reasons contained in the judgment:
Provided that nothing in this part of this article shall be hel d t o perm it th e p u b l icat i o n o f an yt hi ng c o n t rary t o th e provisions of paragraph (a).
3. If any person acts in contravention of the provisions of this Act, he shall in respect of each offence be liable, on conviction, to im pr isonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine (multa) not exceeding two hundred and thirty-two euro and ninety- four cents (232.94), or to both such imprisonment and fine:

Short title.

Restriction on publication of reports of judicial proceedings

Penalties. Amended by: XIII. 1983.4;

L.N. 408 of 2007.

*See Government Notice No. 230 of the 1st of July, 1927, and Act No. V of 1927 omitted under the Malta Statute Law Revision Ordinance, 1936, and the Statute Law Revision Act, 1980.

2 CAP. 60.] JUDICIAL PR OCEEDINGS (R EGULATION O F R E PORT S)
Provided that no person, other than a proprietor of a newspaper or printing establishment, master printe r or publisher, shall be liable to be convicted under this Act.

Prosecutions for offences under the Act.

Amended by: XIII. 1948.2;

L.N. 46 of 1965; LVIII.1974.68.

4. No prosecution for an offence under this Act shall be comm enced in Malta by the Police without the sanction of the Attorney General.

Exemptions. 5. The provisions of the foregoing articles shall not apply to the pri n ting of any pleading, n o te, application, transcr i pt of evidence or other document for use in connection with any judicial proceedings or the communication thereof to persons concerned in the proceedings or to their respective advocates or legal procurators, or to the printing or publishing of any notice or report in pursuance of the directions of the court; or to the printing or publishing of any matter in any separate volume or part of any bona fid e series of law report s , or i n any pub licat ion of a t e chni cal character bona fide intended for circulation among members of the legal or medical professions.

Saving as to other laws.

Amended by: XXII. 1976.4.

Cap. 248.

6. Nothing in this Act shall operate so as to bar the application, according to circumstances, of the Press Act where the breach constitutes a more serious offence under the provisions of that Act.