ACT No. XV of 1983 AN ACT /0 amtlld the Code of OrgafliZl'lion aruJ Civil Proct:dure (Cap. IS). (iltlsof)

I IISSCnt.

,L.S.,

AO"TH" S"R8U"

19th July. 1983

ACT No. XV of 1983

AN ACT /0 amtlld the Code of OrgafliZl'lion aruJ Civil Proct:dure

(Cap. IS).

BE IT ENAcrED by the President, by and with tbe advice and

consent of lhe House of Representatives. in this present Parliament

assembled, and by the authority of the same. as follows: -

I . This Act may be: cited as the Code of Organization and Civil Soon ,ill •.

j'rocedure (Amendment) Act. 1983. and shall be read and con~trued as

One with the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure. herei nafter

referred to as "the principal law".

FiHubartikolu 15> ta' l-artikolu 15g lal·liti prineipali, minflok

il-kliem "fil·paragrafu tt) ta' l-arti kolu 149" għandhom jidħl u l·kliem

"fil-pBnr.a:rafu It) ta,",ubartikolu (l) ta' l-a,tikolu 149".

J, Mil1flolr. i~ubartikolu

Id) la' l-arti kolu 251 tal.liti printipali

għandu jidl\ol dan li tcj

taI.~ priatipoll.

" (d) id-dctitjonijiet ta' arbiui magħmulin skond id-disposiz·

zjonijiet ta' l-artikOlu %7 u l-artikoli ta' wara.",

In subsoction (5) of section 158 of the principal law. for the , , _ , of

words "paragraph (c) of section 149" there shall be substituted the lOC1ion 151 of

words "paragraph (c) of sub5e<.:tion iI) of ~ion 149".

For subsoction (d) of section 251 of the principal law there shall Am",,,I"''''1 of

be substituted the following

"(d) awards of arbitraton; made according to the provisions

of section 961 aod the sections following.".

Immediately after subsoction (I) of section 470 of the prineipal

law there shall be added the following proviso

" Provided that in the application for leave to sue for pelWnal

separatioll or at a subsequent date but prior to the commencement

of proceedings ,before the Court of contentious jurisdiction. a

demand may be made for determining the amount of an allowance

for maintenance during the pcndency of the proceedings before

the Court of voluntary jurisdiction and the Court of contentious

jurisdiction aod for tbe issue of a decree ordering the payment of

such allowaoce.".

lmmroialely after seclion 479 of tile principal law there shall

be addro the followi ng new secti ons

479A. ID The ~ppJication conla ining the demand

I..,(errro to in Ihe proviso to subsection (l) of section 470

shall be appointed for hearing at aD early date. in ~ny cue

",0 • • ' caJ

not later than si~ wOlking days from the date of itl filing. and

$hall be KI"\'ed on the respondent without delay together with

the notice of such appointment.

(2) The Court shall sum marily hear tbe appli·

canl and the respondenl and shall lhen, by decr«. decide on

the demand

Provided Ihal the Court may decide on lhe

demand where Ihe 8pt)licant or tile respondenl or both the

applicanl and tile re~ponden( fai l to appear 01\ (he day of the

hearing .

m (a) The decree referred 10 in subsectio n (2)

of IlIil seclion shall be an e,cculive li tle deemed 10 be

included amongsl the decrees mentionro in seclion 25 1

and shall be enforceable after twenty-four hours from it5

delivery by ~ans of any e.eculive act mentioned in sec·

lion 274 in the same manner and under the same condi·

tions in which such acts are eucuted.

(bl The decree referred 10 in subsection (2)

of this !>eCtion shall be cnforeuble by lhe Court of con-

tentious jurisdiction before which Ihe aCI;01\ for penonal

sepa ralion may be bronght or is pendinj.

(4) The decree referred to in subsection (2) of

this section shull cease to be enforceable if the actiOfl for

separation for which leave is granted is not instituted wit hin

two month s of the dale of the decree or within such longer

period as the Courl may in the same or in a subse<]Uenl docree

allow.

provisioD.5 of 5ubl<:(:tion (3) of seclion

T h~

(5)

382 ill punuan~ 01 which the Court 0( contentious jurisdic-

tion may make the order therein specifid sh3ll apply.

mU/(JIis mUI(IJa(/is. IS if the reference 10 the Court in thal lub-

section were 1 reference 10 the Court of voluntary jurisd;c..

aon before wh ich lhe <kmand referra:! to io the prov;so 10

subsect ion (I ) of section 470 is made.

479H. The decree aDd the order mentioned in .section

Review of

479A may be only reviewed. alterro or revoked upon an

applicalion to the Court of voluntary jurisdiction or 10 the

Court of contentious jurisd ictioo before which the Iction for

separation is pending. as the case may be.",

AI the end of seclion 483 of Ihe principal law there shall be

M i llll~r,b " -ara l-artikolu

għandhom

479 tal-liii

priotipa1i

j idħlu l .. rtikoli ao<Ida li acjji n

479A. (l) Ir·rikors li jkun fih it·talba msemmija fil· orintipaJi.

.. n t .... provi50 gIIa.wubartikolu (1) Ili' l-artikolu 470 għamlu jii i

~;...,~ IIppunUl t gIIas-smiegħ fdata kmieni. f'kull tat mhu~ iktar

.... mtor;.. .• ard minn silt ijiem tax-~ogħol mid..:lata tal-pretenlala tiegħu

u għandu jiii noti fikat liII·i nlimat mingħajr dewmien flimkien

ma'l-avviz ta· dak l-app untament.

(2) Il..Qorti għandha lisma· l ir·rikoTT~nt u lill·

in timu $Omma rjament u mbagħad għ andha. b'digriet, tidde·

tie<li fuq ir-rikon

Itda l..Qorti tista' tiddociet1i fuq il·talba meta

r·rikorrent jew I·intimat jew kemm ir-ri l.:orrent kif uko!!

l-intimat jonqsu li jidhru {il·jum tllwmitgl!.

(3 ) (al Id..:ligriet imsemmi fiwubartikolu (2) la'

dan l-artikolu jkun titlu e1.ckuttiv meqju5 bllala inkl ut

fOJt id..:ligrieli msemmija fl·artikol u 251 u jk un c!egwib-

bli warn erbgħa u għoxrin siegħa milL,għoti tiegħu bil·

me?".!. ta' ~ i aU etekuuiv imsemmi fl·artikol u 274 bi-istess

"'tnl 1110.,

mod u taħt I·istess kondizzjonijiet kif jiiu etegwiti atti

bhal dan .

(bI ld -digriel imsemmi fis-subartikolu (2) ta '

dan l-ttrtikolu jkun cugwibbli min.oorti ta' A;uri l diz..

~joni kontcnzjuta li quddiemha tista' ti niieb jew tkun

pendenti azzjoni għal separnnjoni JX'""na li.

(41 Id-digriel imsemmi fiwubarti kolu (2) ta' dan

l-artikolu ma jibqax etC"8wibbli jekk 1"7.zjoni &ħaweparaujo­

ni li għal iha jingħata p<'nness ma tinbcdix fi t mien xahrejn

mid-data tad-d igriel jew r dlk it·LTli~n itwal li lilla' ta,lIti

l..Qort i f1,istess d ia:ri~t jew t'di griet iellor waT1l.

(~I

ld-di'potizzjonijiet uwubartikolu (J) ta'

382 li bis-saħħa tagħhom il.oorti '.1.' juris~iajoni

l-tlrt;~olu

kontenljuta tilta' !B,hmel iI·mandat ~mm spc<'ifikat għand­

hom japplikaw, mulafU ",,,Iand',. daqslikieku r-rifcrenza

għall-Qort i rdak iwuba rt ikolu. kienet riferenza ghall-Qorti

ta' i urisdiujon i volontarja li qudd iemha tkun $II~t it.ta lba

msemmija fil.pn')v;", &!IaHubartlkolu 111 ta' I~rtikolu 470,

Id-di~riet

u I<lrdni msemmija fl.artikolu 479A

4798. ... diorie<. jiltgħu biss jiġu nvedu!i, mibdula }ew revohti fuq nkon lill-

Oorti ta' A;urisdiujoni volontarja jew liU..()orti ta· aurisdiz-

zjoni konteru:ju:!.l li quddiemha l-iIujoni &hal separaujoni

tkun pendenti. skond iJ.kat. Ħ.

6, Fit-tarf tl' l-tlrtikolu 483 lal·liġi prillfipa li ghandu jitdied il-

provi", li ġe;

l-ulikol_ 4ll

.. ,-lilll

" IMa l-Qorti m',lIandhicx lib&hal il·partijiet quddicm ~ll

i'.Qort; ta' iurisdizzjoni kon~en]!;ju!a meta. fiI . b! lil' talba magh.

mula skond iI·provi50 &ħas-subartikolu (I) ta' l-artikolu 470. il-

Qorti tkun laq&ħet klpposi12joni għall-imsemm ija lalba. Ħ.

L-artikolu 526 tal-liii prilK'ipali għandu jiii emenda! kif A;ej

added the following provilO

" Provided that the Court shall not refer the parties to Ihe

Court of ronlentious jurisdiction where. in Ihe case of a dema nd

made iD accordance with Ihe proviso 10 subsection (I ) 01 .section

470, the Court Ihall ha ve uphel d the opposition to Ihe said

dem aDd.~.

Se<:tion 526 of the princip:d law shall be amended as follows: Ameod .... a' of

(a) subsection f4J thereof shal l be renumbered as subsection ,he p<iD<ipol

(5); and

(b) immediately after subsection (3) thereof there shall be

added the following new subsection

"(4) The Registrar shall before the end of the month of

January of every year cause to be published in the GaU=l1e. a

list showing in alphabetical order the nameS and SUrnameS of

the persons appearing in the booK Kept in accordance with

suhsection (3) of this section. together with the names of the

father. the place of birth an,1the number of the Identi ty Card

of such persons and the date o f the decree of inlerdiction or

incapacitalion.".

In section 552 of the princip'll law for the worm "Iwo monlhs" A"",nd_", 01

there shall be subslituted the words "six months".

In subsection (1) of seclion 568 of the principal law. for the

words " the Courl. or before referees" there shall be substituted the words

"Ihe Court, arbitrators. or before referees".

10, In subsection (2) of section 63 4 of the principal law, the words A"",od"",", or

"or, for the purposes of the proviso to subsect ion (4) of section 995, any ,he

one of the Registrars men'·ioned in that section" and "or R egistrar" shall 1.,.,

be deleted.

Immediately a\ the end of paragraph (d) of section 928 0( the Ameodmeo' of

principal law Ihere shall be added Ihe words "or where nO such person """ion

Or persons have been .'.sted with such legal representation".

For section 930 of the principal law there sha ll be substi1Uled s"MU",,;.. 01

the following

"930. ([) The Court, upon making an order for the

appointment of curators shall isslle banns to be posted up at

the entrance o f the build ing in which tbe Court ~its.

(2) A ropy of such banns shall be served On ODe

or the persons most closely related \0 the person to be repre·

sented or in respect of whose inheritance the appointment of

curators is demanded. and where no relations are known.

such copy shall he served on SOme other person known to be

or have been a friend of the person concerned.

(3) Where no relation or friend as is mentioned

in subsection (2) of this section is known 10 the person de-

manding the apopintment of curators, the Court may order

Ihat instead of the service mentioned in subsection (2) of this

section a copy of the banns be pub lislled in the Gazetle and

in at kast two dai ly newspapers at the expense of the a ppl;-

canl. ".

For seclion 969 of the principal law there shall be substituted S .... ' ;Mion of

=ti"" !>6\1

the following

,,_.

.f tm ]>I'iOOpol

"969. (]) The submission shall be made in writing,

e ither by a public deed. or by a private writing, or in accord·

ance with the provisions of this section.

(a)

Where an action about allY maller io

(2)

d ilp ule ha$ aLready been brought before a COllrt of

J ustice, Ihe ~ r' ic:s may at allY stage file a joint note in

the RcgiJlTy of Ihat Court, signed by tile panies or their

advocates, req uesting Ihe Court 10 tran smit the cause 10

the arbitrator or arbitrators who shall ha,'c signed their

a~pl an~ e SO 10 act in the same !lOtt.

(bl T he Co ... rt shall order Ihat lhe rocords

o f the CIIK $hall be lrarrsm illed 10 the arbitrators.

(c) The f ilillJ of the note mentioned in this

SC("lion shall be deemed 10 be a withdrawal of the action

from ItIe jurisdiction of IlIat Coun; bUI on rcglmy fees

shall be levied for luch discon tinuance,

(d ) T he arbit rators " hall be competent 10

hear and d«idc Ihe maUer in dispute within th~ li"ilS

o f Ihe origina l actinn. on the pins filed and on any

cou ntercl aim made acco rding 10 law.

(c) Nocwithsta nd ing the provision~ of pa ra·

graph (a) of this suhsection and of section 973. the

pa rt ies mny in the joint note rc:t ~ :~t the Omrt to

appoint un a rbitrator or a rbilrators. and such appoint·

ment shall be errective from th~ d ay when the p~rsons

sa appoi nled signify Iheir consen l so to act.

(3) T he parties may in tile nole mentioned in

paragraph (al o r Jubse.:tion (2) o f litis ~Iion ~rve the

right 10 appeal from the fina l award on a point of law deter-

mined by the a rbitr&lOror arbi tralors to Ihe Court of Appeal.

in the $ame ma nner and le(Qrding 10 the formalities eslab-

lished for appeaIJ from judgments o f courts o f first iD5\.anoc.

(4 ) The r~ payable to tile arbitra tors sha n be

Ih.o5c established for referees. unless the perties and the

arbitrators have otherwise agreed in ... ·riting about tlte fees

that sbould be !.axed.

(S) Wlle ~ electromagDCtic means a~ u!iCd fo r

the recording of lhe e,·identt. it shall not be: necessary to

tTan5Cl'ihe the evidente iD laken. provided Ihal the electro-

magnetic lape used is tiled with lhe final award.

(6) The arbit rators may hold their ~illings at

any place and at any time or day.".

For section 970 of Ihe principal law there shalt be substituted

Ihe following

" 970. (11 T he Court whkh would he competent 10

take cognizance of the ",UlIer referred 10 arbitration sha ll

issue writs of subpoe na to witnesses to a pp~ar b::lore the

arbitrator Of arbit rators . and if a ny such witncss fails to

attend the court shall. on a repon in writing by the arbitrator

or arbitrator, proc~~d in the manner pro~ id ed in section S74.

(2) The provisions of subsection (2) o r section

568 shaH apply to such writl.

(3 ) The arbill1ltors shall ha~e po .... er

to

administer oaths 10 wilneucs exa mined by them ....

Section '176 o f the principal law shall be amended 8S ....

U.

follow.

!be prln<ipOl

the present provision shall be ~numbered as su~!ion It ...

(a)

( I); and

tbl immediately afler subsection (\) tbereof there sh.all be

added the following new lubJeclion

··12) Before proceeding t(. discharge the reference the Itbi·

tratOf$ sball take a n oath before the Court which would be

competent to lake rogni;eance of the mallcr refet"Rd for

arbitration . 10 discharge the reference faithfully and impanialiy

and to the best o f Iheir abi tity.".

For subsection (I) of section 98S of the principal Law there .......... 01 ..... " 01.

...

_

shall be subt.\i luted the following

!be prilOcipool

.. (1) Without prejudice 10 any right of appeal Ihat may be

reserved in accordance with tile provisions of Subsc<:lio n (3) of

scd.ion 969. in tbe cues therein mentioned. an awa rd may only be

rescinded Or annulled on the grounds on which a con tract ma y.

ao:<:ording to law. be rescinded Or annulled:·.

Pused by the House of RepreSCntBt ivts al Silting No. 120 of the 131h July. 1983.

c. M IFSUO

Clnk w 11r~ HOU$t of Reprt~malives

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