ACT No. XIII of 1984 AN ACT 10 mab new p'oviJioru 10; the liquldafion and pat/Won of iNrr;iI(J~s ""d '0 provide JM "",tf= «>ttn«ted IMnwifh and incidenfal th~/o.

AGA.THA BAU.U.A

I"re:sideol

22nd June. 1984

ACT No. XIII of 1984

AN ACT 10 mab new p'oviJioru 10; the liquldafion and pat/Won of

iNrr;iI(J~s ""d '0 provide JM "",tf= «>ttn«ted IMnwifh and

incidenfal th~/o.

BE IT ENACTED by the President, by and with !he advice aDd

consent 01 the HOUK o! RC'prescntatives, in this present Pnliament

assembled, Ind by the authority of the same. u follows:~

This Act may be cited IS tile PareitiOll of Inheritance Act.

II)

1984. m Thil Act ,hall CQrnc inlo ro,ce on lUl:h dale as the Milllster

may appoint by notice in the Gazelle, and different datCll may be 50

appointed for dllremJt provisioml Ind for diffcrml pIUJlOSCS of litis Act.

In this Act. unless the conle~l otherwise requ;m1_

"Minister" means tile Minister responsible for junice

"prescribed" me&1lS prescribed by l'Cgu'-.lions uader thil Act

"pl'Ol"'ny" means any thin, Or right as II referred to in TItle I

of Pa rt [ or Book Sewnd ot the Civil Code

Hpublic: officer" and "publk service" have the same meaning

as is luigned to tllem by JeCtiOll 126 of the COIlstitution of Malta;

"Registrar" means tile Regillrar of tbe Superior Coum

·'Tribunal" melns tile Pal1itlOll of Inheritances Tribunll esllb-

lisbed by section 4 of this Aet.

III Whe~ two or mo~ penons bold in wmmon any propel1y

deri,'ing to them from an inh«il1lnee. sucb property may be subject 10

pal1ition in aceordanee with the provisions of this Act 011 a demand made

u provilkd in ...bse.:tlon (2) of this 5ection

Provided thlt no such demand shall be made e~cept after thrt>e

years have ellP6ed from the openin, 01. the ~iOll.

m Soch demand may be made by Ipplicat;olllO the Tribunal

by one or more cG-Owners who 01 the time of the openin, of the SllC(t:$o

~ion dIller own ber""eeo them nOl le~ Ihan fifly per centum of the sharo-

holding of the properly '10 held in common Or together conslitute nalles.

lIIan fifty per crolom of Ihe number of all th. OO<Iwncrl.

13l The PI'O'"isi01l.!l of Ihe foregoiog subs«tioll. of this 5n:l;OlI

shall be without flIl'judice 10 the ",o"isio~ of &ection 947 of !be avil

Code.

(4) Where however an aclion is brought before Or nferred 10

the Tribunal in accordance wilh the pl"Qvisions of this Act the Trib\lnal

~all 50 Ion& I' luch action i:J pendio8 before it have cxdw;ive jurisdic-

tion with ~pecl 10 the subject mailer lhcr«>f and no other action in

resp«1 of the $lome claim .hall be brought before any Court of first

instance.

(1) There is hereby established a Tribunal 10 be known n the Arbnruiooo

Partition of Inheritances Tribunal.

Tn_I.

(2) The Tribunal 5hall take cogniunce of and decide on any

demand brought bdore it in aC«lrdance Wilh thiS Act and of any relula.

tions made thereunder.

S. (l) The Tribunal shall consist of One or three arbitl1ltOJll who (:oo,,;,,,,,on

shall be appointed and shall serve in accordance: with the provisioDi of '" Tribu••L

this Act. Except where atlthe co-owners agree Ihal it sllan oonsist of three

arbitrators. the Tribunal shall consist of onc arbitl1ltor.

(2) An arbi1rlIllOr slLali be one of a panel of persons appointed

by Ille Preaidenl of the Republic acting in accoronnC'C with tile adviC'C of

the Prime Minister from amongst pcrsolIs who in the Prime Minister's

opinion are qualified to c.1rTY out tile duties and 'unctiom of arbitl1lton

for the purposes of this Ad.

m A person s~all be disqualified from being appointed or

se",ing as arbitrator so loog a8 he is a member of the House of Represen.

tatives.

(4) The arbitratOTS shall sit in the Tribunal. either in turn o.

in accordance wilh such distribution of dutic$ and sub;ect to such pravi.

lions 15 10 innbility to serve and other circumstances. as tI.e Minister may

establish or as may be preseribed.

(SI Before taking cognil.ance of any application brought

before the Tribunal. the arbitrator, if he doci not hold judicial office.

shall \.Ite an Ollth to examine and decide the application faithfully. im·

partially and ill lI<:Cordanct: with tbis Act; and such oath sbaH be taken

before the Court of Appal.

(61 The Minister s!lan designate a public off~r 10 be Sec~

tary fA tile Tribunal, and may also detail other public offi~1'lI to assist the

Secretary in lhe perfnrmance of his duties. The Secretary of !be Tribunal

shall ha~ murUlis mu/(mdi, such powers and duties as are by the Code of

Organil.ation and Civil Procwure vested in the Regist",r of the Superior Cop, U

Courts.

(7j The Registry of the Superior Couns shall be the Registry

---

of tbe Tribunal. Ind all records of proceedings of tbe Tribunal shin be

retained in loch Regillry under the cUSlody of the Registrar.

m A person appointed to the panel of Irbitraton s"'U to

serve for lhe period specified in his appointnwnt being a period of 1I0t .rlIi...."""

less tllan three years. and if nO such period is IllCCiried he shall serve for

a period 01 three years.

(2)

An arbitrator may be .emo,'ed from office during the

period of h;. appointmrnt only in the same circumstances and mlllllet IS

a Judge of Ike Superior Courts.

0) An arbitrator actually serving as &uch in a particular caK

.hall. notwithstanding the termination of his period of service. continue

50 10 SCrve on the proceedings in which he is serving a. a!'bitnllor until

t""

conclusion of th"'" p~ings and ,h.""after for the (lUTJlO5C at the

interpretation, corroxlion and making good an omi!l.lion in any award

given Ilterei •.

An application to Ihe Tribunal made u provided in _lion 3

of thii AC1.hall be filed in the Registry of lbe Tribunal in SlK'h mallller.

on Ihe payment of such fees and logl:1her wilh rueh documetlll as may

be prescribed.

I. (I) A copy of the application together wilh tho: dof;umc:nts and

DOles filed the,..,w;th mall be ..,n·<rl on cach of the respondent c:o-owMf1:.

(2) The respondents 5haU ",~thiD t"'"Cnty worting dayl of tbe

IICrvice of the applicuion file an answer therelO in whicb they Itate any

poinUl of disagreement Wilh the contentl of Ihe applicatioll. or with the

documents fil<rl therewith.

t. m Whe~ an action for Ihe partitioll of h.er<rlitary property is

pending before a Court of IIrst inslJlnce.!be party or parties who tOgdher

could. if theCl5e WC're not SO pending, make an application in accordanee

"'ith section) of this Act. may by a note Of by noles fil<rl in tbe Registry

of the ColU1 belo~ which the case il pending request the Coun to tranl-

mit tbe CAll.'ie to the Tribunal. and the Court shall thereupon order that

the records of the case be transmined 10 the Tribunal.

121 The filing of soch nole or notes. as lhe cue may be. shall

be decm<rlto be a withdrawal of the action from the jurisdiction of that

Court and an application 10 the TribllDal for a decision on the demand

con~ined in the ad commcocing Ihe ptoC~ings belore the Cour1

Provided that DO ~gistry fees shall be levied for such disoon·

tiouanee of the action.

(3) The Tribunal .hall hear and decide the maner transmilled

to it as afornaid within the limits of tbe demand. the pleas tbereto and

any rountercLilim made. and on the evi<knce presented according to law.

whether made or presented before the Court or the Tribunal.

(I) Kopja tar-rikor.; f1imlden mad-dokumenti un-noli ppre-

tentali rniegllu ghandhorn jigu nolifikati IiI kul1 wielled rnill-komproprje:-

tarji intimati.

(2) L-inlimati gtlandhorn fi tmien gho:uin jum lax-xoghol

min-notiIika tar-ritors jippre:tl:ntaw risposta gtlalih Ii flba jgtlidu I-punti

koUba Ii fuqhorn rna jaqblux rna' dak Ii jkun jinsab fir-rikors jew fid-

dokumenti pprdenlati rnieghu.

9, (I) Fejn ikun bernm pendenli quddiem Oorti la' l-ewwel grad

azzjoni ghall-qnsma ta' beni eredilarji, il-parli jew il.partijiel Ii bejniet-

hom jistgtlu, kieku l-kawt.a rna kenitx pendenti, jaghmlu rikon skond

J..artikolu 3 ta' dan I-Au_ jislghu b'nola jew b'noli ppre1entali fir-

Retistru tal-Qorti Ii quddiernha lkun pendcnli I-kaw:ta jilOlbu lill-oorti

biex tibghal il-kawta quddiem it-Tribunal, u l-Qorti ghandha rna' dan

tordna Ii l-pro¢ess lal-kawt.a jinlbaghal lit-Tribunal.

(2) l1-pre:tenlata ta' dik in-nota jew la' dawk in-nOli, skond

il-k:a2, tilqies Ii tkun irtir ta' !-azzioni mi11-gurisdizzjoni la' dik i1-Qorti,

u rikors IiI-Tribunal ghal de<:itjoni fuq il-talba Ii Ikun tinsab f1..att Ii bib

ikunu ntxlew il-prwedimenli quddiern il-Qorti

IMa rna jithallsu ebda drittijiel tar-registru ghax dik l-azzjoni

rna tkunx tkornplie!.

(3) II-Tribunal ghandu jisma' u jidde<:iedi I-kwistjoni mib-

ghUla liIu kif inlqal qabel til-limiti lat-lalba, la' I-eti:ezzjonijiet gtlaliha

u la' kull kontra taIba Ii tkun saret u fuq il-provi pprd_entali

skond iI-ligi, sew jekk ikunu saru jew gew ippretentati quddiem i1-Qorti

sew quddiem it-Tribunal.

II) The application. Or the aClion transmillcd 10 the Tribunal

under section 9, .ball be..,t down for hearing at an early due.

(2) The Tribunal shall hold ils sillings and deliver its award.

includillJl any preliminary or partial award. in public unle:u all the

parties agree Olherwise.

(3) The Tribunal shall hear the applications in o;onformily

with the rules laid down in the Code of Organization and Civil Proc:odure

in so far IS may be applicable to the proceedings before the Tribtrnll

and not incompatible with this Act.

(4) The Tribunal shall decide any mailer before it in a«:ord-

aDee with lbc provisions of lhe Civil Code ..,Iallnllo the pal1ltion of In

inheritance and of any Olher law in 10 far lIli applicable 10 !be maUer

before the Tribunal. and ~hall a-.rd costs acoordingl)'. Socb COlli shall

include the CO!lIl incurred by an)' pany before the CoUrt of fil'$l insIaocc

in any cause which is lransmilTed to the Tribunal in aCTXlrdance wilh the

provisions of lhil Act.

(S) Every award shall be sil!.Ued by lhe arbitralOr. and where

the arbiTraloR arc thrcc by each arbitrator

Provided LhaL a dilllCnting arbitralor need nol tign lhe award.

bul a mention of this fact ,hall be made by The other arbilratorJ.

1bc award de1i~red by lhe Tribunal shall be final and

(6)

conclusive.

(7) Notwilhstanding lhe provlsiom of sublcction (61 of this

&CClion. the Tribunal shall have power 10 give al any lime. al lbe teqtle:st

of any of the panies. an inlerprclatioo of lhe award or of aoy points

determined Therein, aod 10 make good an)' error or omiSlion in an)'

award.

II. The parties may appear before the Tribunal in pcf$Ofl or may

be dilly ..,prescnlCd by anOtbeT person.

U. (I) Uon all the parties 10 tbc arbitralion proceedingJ

agree otItcrwiic, lbc Tribunal shall give the award not later than six

monlhs from the day lhe rupoodcnlS !la\"C filed their allSwer or the day

00 which !be time for the filing of the answer expil'Cl. whichc~r iI the

earlier.

(2) Where the award cannot be delivered within the Time

menlioned in the preccdlnll SUb&CClion. such lime may be extended for

further pcriodl, each nOl CllceMing six month,. at the /"C<luest of the

applicaots or by The Tribunal in exceptional circumslllnCC'l which shall

be expressly slllted and enlered in Tbe records of lhe arbitralion proceed-

i.....

(3) Where any period refCTTCd to in the pRCCdiog sub5cctions

of this section iI for any ~ nOl Clllended U lherein provided. the

proceedings dlall be d«med 10 have been adjourned 10 an unspecified

dale aDd the provisions of _Tions 963 and 964 of the Code of Orpnlm'

lion and CiVil Prooedure shall. ,"1'1"'1$ ,"UIMdu, apply to such proceed.

ings: and in any such cue the period mentioned ;n sub!«1iOll (l) of thiI

section shall comltlC'l~ on the date of The ~ppoinlmellt of the cause.

raM rna jiflebmux xorfoftra. it·Tribunal gftandu jaghti d-deti.tjoni mhux

iklar tard minn sill xhur mill.jum Ii fib I·intimati jkunu pprei:entaw ir-

risposta taghhom jew mm-jum Ii fih ikun gftalaq it-tmieD ghaU.preten.

tata tar-risposta, skood Hema jkun l-ewwel.

(2) Meta d-de<:itjoni ma tkunx lista' tingftata fit-tmicn im-

semmi fis-subartikolu ta' qabel dan. dak it·tmien jista' jil1i mtawwal ghal

perijodi ohra. Ii kull wielled minnhom rna jkunx itwal minn sit! xhur,

fuq it-taIba tar-rikorrenli jew mit-Tribunal f~irkostanzi ectc7.zjonali Ii

ghandhom jinghadu espressament u jitnittlu fil-process ta' I·llrbitragg.

(3) Meta xi perijodu msemmi fis-suOOnikoli taO qabel la' dan

l-anikolu rna jkunx glial xi raguni mledded Ieif hemmhekk provduL. il·

pro¢edimenti ghandhom jilqiesu Ii lew differiti sine die u d-dispotiujo-

nijiet ta' l-artikoli 963 u 964 tal-KodiCi ta' Organiuaujoni u PrOC'edura

Civili gIIandhom, IIIlIllltis mutandis, japplikaw ghal dawk i1-prOCcdimeuti

u null kat bhal dak il·perijodu msemmi fis-subanikoJu (l) ta' dan

l-anikolu gllandu jibda jghodd mid-data meta J-kawi:a lerga' til1i

appunlata.

(II The Tribunal shall bave such poweR as are by the Code Oeocnt _ _

of Orpnizalion Ind Civil Procedure vested in the Civil Coort. Finl ~1 11M Tri-..

".n.

(2) Without prejudice to the foregoing provision of thil sec-

liolt. !be Tribunal Iball ha~ the power to IIImmon witOCS5Cll and to

administer !be (lith. to appoinl experts 10 report OD mallerJ of a tech·

nical /l.ltute involved in the dispute, and to /"C<luire any person who

appean 10 it 1.0 have special lrnowledge of aoy relc....nt matter, or of

lny of the matten to which the appliclltiOll referred 10 relatea, or of

Ihe maller referred to il. to furnish in writing or otherwise. and 10

confimt 00 oalh. such opinion and such parlK:ulars relating 10 rhe

application. iocilldinl the parlilioo inlo shares of any Ih.ings movable

or immovable, IS the Tribunal may requi~, and may aUlhorise any

pt'rJofI to admiDisler the oath for tll.l pul'p05e.

III The Tribunal ""all C'lIdCilVOUr to bring about a com-

promise belween the parries on lhe issues in dispUTe.

(2) Where a compromise i~ ~ached the Tribunal Shall draw

up II. proc<1.vrrbaJ thereof and ~han incorponllc the compromise in an

award afler such ptOCr,·w,1HJ1 is siaoed by the parties Of by their legal

rrpm;entatives or is olh«wise accepted Or adhered 10 by a sigoal

illStrulIl<'DI filed wilh I noce in the Reai5try of the Tribunal.

IS. The arbitralor may be challenged. or shall abi!l\.lin. trom

lining in the Trib~nal in any of the circumstan= &<:t out in &«1iOll 735

of thc Code of Organization and Civil Procedure: and in any such case

the provi$iOll' of SuI>Title II of Title II of Boo!::: Third of that Code shall

apply in so far as t~y are appli>:able and subjec:t to Ille oIlier provisions

of this Ad.

IIi. III TIle enforcerntnt of the awards of the Tribunal shall be

>:arried out in llle manner prescribed ;n tile Code or Organ;7.alion and

Civil Proo::edllre, and shall ,..,st in Ille TribtJnal itself.

m

Where the award reqllire' a pUbik deed. tile Tribunal

,hall appoint

a Notary 10 publish the deed and >:uralors to repruent

ddaultc:rs on the deed. and fi~ tile place. date and lime for the publica·

tion of the deled.

11. The fea payable 10 Ille armtnllOn and 10 any eJtperts

appoioted by them shall be thOle establi$hed for lega' and other rd~

uoder the Code of Organizalion and Civil Procedure, and the provision'

of that Code appU>:able to referea shall apply to slK'h arbitrators or

experts

Provided that nO Wl:h fees shall be payable 10 the arbi1I'atOTll

woo hold a judi",al ofrll'e or are selected from the public servil'e.

L-arbitru jisla' Hi rikuial. jc ... jis!a' jastjeni. mHlI joqghod (it-

T ribunal fi;"ull wal'lw.. miUi rkostanzi msemm ija n·aTliko1u TJS tal· Kod i-

~i ta' O rganizzl zzjoni u Procroura ~ivili; u f'tull kat bhal <la ir:: id-disp<)-

tizzjonij iel ms-Su\).Titlu 11 tat-T illu J[ 11I1·T iele! Klieb ta' dak i1,Kod i~i

ghandhorn japplikaw safejn ikunu npplikabbli u bin hsa T8 ghad..dispofiz-

ljonijie t l.<Jhra ta ' dan I,AtI.

16, (1) lA:tekuzzjoni tad.oetitjonijie\ lal-T ribunal gIIa ndba lil'

wcnaq bil-rnod preskrin fil-Kod ~i ta' Organiuuzjoni u P/'OCedura Civili,

u tigi veslila rit-Tribunal inni f~u ,

(2) Mela d..deatjoni lirun lehlieA III pubbllku, it-T ribunal

ghB OOu jahtar NUlar biex jippubblita l-alt u kuratllri bicx jirrappakn-

law dawk I; jonqslI li jidhru fuq 1-311, u ghl ndll jistabbillui I-posI, id.data

u I·hill ghall·pubblikazzjoni la' l-an.

Id-d rittijiel li gllandhom jithnllsu IHI-arbilri u lil kull esperti

nominali minnhom gtiandhom ikunu dawk Slabbililj ghal peril; Icgal;

n periti oh m taht il·Koditi ta' Organiaaajoni u Proccdum Civili, U

d-dispolizzjonijicl la' dak il· Kod iti applikabbli s hall·periti gIIandbom

japplih w ghal dawk I-a rbitri jew csperti

IMa dawk id..drittijiel ma j ;lha ll su~ H11-arbilri U jkolthom

kariga Aud izzjarja Jew Ii jkunu rnaght ula mi s-sc rvin pubbliku.

The Minister may from time to time make ~lIlat;OIU go''''m-

iog the proeoeding of lhe Tribunal and, wilhout prejudir.:e !O the

genenllity of the foregoing. may make regulatiOn!

(a) pres<:ribina: the contents of an application to the Tribunal.

the answer thereto. aod any other wrillen proceedings before the

Tribunal. the manner of miog of any such a>:l. and the documenM

which sltall be filed the~ilh;

{bl prcscribilll the procedure for the sel'Vke of aoy al'l 00

lhe other party;

(>:f prescribing the ~ure for lhe fixing by tbe Tribunal

of the date of hearing of the applicalion and for the giving nOlice

Qf such dale to the partie, c01lC¢mw;

(dl

prescribing tbe fees. Olher lban lhoo;e provided for in

5«"U"" 11. charges and expenses payable in oonn«lion with any

proceeding. befon: the Tribunal. iocluding Repstry fees for the

award or for Ihe d;<;eonlinuance of lhe cause

(e) praaibing lhe fees payable (0 a person in respect of lhe

appearaoce or assUtancc on behalr of a party in the proceedings

before the Tribunal;

(f) prescribiog lhe fee payable to the Registry in mspecl 01

the issue of any authentic ropy of award or document in the records

of Ihe Tribunal

pRscribiog any olher mauer lIlat may be Decc1W.ry for

~g)

Ihe bene, carrying oul of Ihe fUflCtions of the Tribunal.

Pas5ed by the Iiouse of Representatives II Silling No. 180 of lhe 19th June. 1984.

D"NIIiL MICALU'

S~ker

C. MIFSlID

Clerk to Ihe lIoust of RepreUnlatiws

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