ACT No. LXV of 2021 An ACT to further amend the Criminal Code, Cap. 9, and to provide for matters ancillary or consequential thereto.

I assent.

(L.S.)

GEORGE VELLA

President

14th December, 2021

ACT No. LXV of 2021

An ACT to further amend the Criminal Code, Cap. 9, and to provide

for matters ancillary or consequential thereto.

BE IT ENACTED by the President, by and with the advice and

consent of the House of Representatives, in this present Parliament

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

The short title of this Act is the Criminal Code (Amendment

No. 8) Act, 2021 and this Act shall be read and construed as one with

the Criminal Code, hereinafter referred to "the Code".

Article 82A of the Code shall be substituted by the following: Substitution of

article 82A of

the Code.

82A. (1) Whosoever uses any threatening, abusive

or insulting words or behaviour, or displays any written

or printed material which is threatening, abusive or

insulting, or otherwise conducts himself in such a

manner, with intent thereby to stir up violence or hatred

against another person or group of persons on the

grounds of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation,

race, colour, language, ethnic origin, age, disability,

religion or belief or political or other opinion or

whereby such violence or hatred is likely, having regard

to all the circumstances, to be stirred up shall, on

conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term from

six (6) to eighteen (18) months

Provided that, for the purposes of this Code,

unless the context otherwise requires, "disability"

means the same as the meaning assigned to it in article

2 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities Act.

(2) For the purposes of sub-article (1) "violence or

hatred" means violence or hatred against a person or

against a group of persons in Malta defined by

reference to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation,

race, colour, language, national or ethnic origin, age,

disability, citizenship, religion or belief or political or

other opinion.".

In sub-article (1) of article 82C of the Code the words "ethnic Amendment of

origin, citizenship" shall be substituted by the words "ethnic origin, age, article

the Code.

disability, citizenship".

In the sub-title before article 83B of the Code the words Amendment of

"RACIALLY AGGRAVATED OR MOTIVATED BY XENOPHOBIA the

before article

OR HOMOPHOBIA" shall be substituted by the words "RACIALLY 83B

Code.

OR DISABILITY OR AGE AGGRAVATED OR MOTIVATED BY

XENOPHOBIA OR HOMOPHOBIA".

In article 83B of the Code the words "ethnic origin, Amendment of

citizenship" shall be substituted by the words "ethnic origin, age, article

the Code.

disability, citizenship".

Article 222A of the Code shall be amended by the following

Amendment of

article 222A of

the Code.

(a) the words "ethnic origin, citizenship" shall be

substituted by the words "ethnic origin, age, disability,

citizenship" wherever they occur;

(b)

sub-article (1) thereof shall be deleted.

In sub-article (1) of article 251D of the Code the words "ethnic

Amendment of

article 251D of

origin, citizenship" shall be substituted by the words "ethnic origin, age,

the Code.

disability, citizenship".

In sub-article (1) of article 325A of the Code the words

Amendment of

article 325A of

"ethnic origin, citizenship" shall be substituted by the words "ethnic

the Code.

origin, age, disability, citizenship".

Passed by the House of Representatives at Sitting No. 529 of the 7th

December, 2021.

ANĠLU FARRUGIA

Speaker

RAYMOND SCICLUNA

Clerk of the House of Representatives

€0.36