JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS (REGULATION OF REPORTS) ACT (regulationofreports)

J UD IC IA L P RO CE E D ING S (RE G U LATIO N O F REPO RTS)

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

Notices 408 of 2007 and 218 of 2012 and Act XI of 2018.

The short title of this Act is the Judicial Proceedings

(Regulation of Reports) Act.

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, for divorce or for judicial separation, or

touching the effects arising from such nullity of

marriage, divorce 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

held to permit the publication of anything contrary to the

provisions of paragraph (a).

If any person acts in contravention of the provisions of this

Act, he shall in respect of each offence be liable, on conviction, to

imprisonment 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

*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.

J U D IC IA L P RO C EED IN G S (REG U LATIO N O F REPO RTS)

Provided that no person, other than a proprietor of a

newspaper or printing establishment, master printer or publisher,

shall be liable to be convicted under this Act.

No prosecution for an offence under this Act shall be

commenced in Malta by the Police without the sanction of the

Attorney General.

The provisions of the foregoing articles shall not apply to

the printing of any pleading, note, application, transcript 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

fide series of law reports, or in any publication of a technical

character bona fide intended for circulation among members of the

legal or medical professions.

Deleted by Act XI.2018.27.