The Doctor of Laws - L.L..D. Degree Course Regulations., 1m

LoN. 9 of 1997

EOUCATION ACf

(CAP. 321)

The Doctor of Laws - L.L..D. Degree Course Regulations., 1m

IN exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 3CX5)

and 31(6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the

University of Malta has promulgated the followi ng regulations made

by the Senateofthe University of Malta by virtue of the powers conferred

upon it by sections 31 and 35 of the said Act

Citation and lnterpretation

( I) These regulations may be c ited as the Doctorof Laws - LL.D. - Degree

Course Regulations, 1997.

(2)

In these regulations, un less th e context otherwise requires -

" the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Laws;

"Ihe Course" means the Course leading to the Degree of Doctor of Laws;

" the Degree" means the Degree of Doctor of Laws.

Applicability

These regulations shal l be applicable to courses starting in October 1993 or

Eligibility ror the Degree

To be eligible for the Degree a candidate shall

be registered as a matriculated student in terms of the Admission

(a)

Regulations of the University

(b) complete the course of studies, qualify in me examinations and satisfy

any other requirements prescribed in these regulations; and

(c) satisfy any other requirements prescribed in any other relevant statutes

and regulations of the University .

Special Course Requirements

( I) To be registered for the Course a candidate shall. in addition to satisfying

the conditions specified in the Admission Regulations of the University, satisfy the

follow ing Special Course Requirements

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(a)

have obtained the degree o f Bachelor of Arts in Legal and Humanistic

Studies with at least category UB; and

(b)

have obtai ned al least 54 credits in the law area and have at least a

Grade C average in the Final Examinations held in that area.

(2) A candidate who is a graduate of a University ,or has otherqualificalions

considered to be suffic ient. may be exempted by the Admissions Board , on the advice

of the Faculty Admissions Committee , from the whole or part of these Special Course

Pequirements.

Course Structure

(I)

The programme of stud ies shall extend over three years, and shall be

divided into two parts: Part One and Part Two.

(2) The Board may require candidates to register before each year of the

Course for those stud y-uni ts indicated by it.

(3) The Board shal! draw up a schedule of Study-units and of the credits

assigned to each . The Board may amend such schedule from time to time as it may

deem advisable. provided this is done before the beginning of the academic year .

(4) The Board may exempt a candidate from the req uirement of obtaining a

credit if he has obtained from the University. or an institution recognised by Senate for

the purpose. a qualification the study for which is. in the opinion of the Board. at least

equivalent in content and standard to that required for the credit concerned.

Part One of Course

( I) Pan One shall extend OVer the first four semesters of the Course. To

complete Part One of the Course a candidate must obtai n a min imu m of SS credi ts, of

which 27 shall be taken in the first two semesters.

(2) A candidate who fails 10 obtain a minimum number of credits in the

first two semesters shall not be allowed to proceed to the next semester.

(3) A candidate who obmins the minimum numbe r of credits prescribed in

paragraph (1) of this regulation shall be allowed to sit for the Final Examinations aI the

end of Part One.

(4) A candidate who fai ls to obtain the necessary number of credits or fail s

in the Final Examinations shall not be allowed to proceed to Part Two of the Course.

saving the provisions of regulation 12.

Part Two.

Pan Two sha ll consist o f study-units to which nOiless than 10 credirs shall be

assigned. the submission of a thesis and a final o ral examination o n the su bject thereof

provided that no candidate s hall be al lowed to submit his thesis to the Board before he

has been approved in t he Final Examinations at the end of Part One of the Course.

Progress

( I)

Credits shall be assigned according 1.0 the fo llowing grades in

descending order o f merit: A, B, C, D and P, where F indicates Failed.

(2) A caoo.idate who fails looblain a credit for a study-unit is allowed to be f'C-

tested once. In the re-assessment. the student's credit shall begrndcd either 0 or F.

Final Examinations

(I) Final Examinations shall be held at the end of Part One of the Course

and ~ ha1 1 consist of one paper and a vi va voce examinat ion in each of the subjects

studied.

(2) To satisfy the Final EXcllnination requirement, a candidate must be

successful in each subject.

(3) A cand idate who fails in anyone or more of the subjects shall have a

supplementary session in the paper or papers and/or in the viva voce examination or

examinations or that subject: provided that a candidate who has obtained a Grade D in

the written paper and has fai led the viva voce examination shall be: required to take the

who le examination in that su bjecl.

(4) The mark or grade obtained in a supplementary examinat ion s hall e ither

be: the mini mum pass mark or grade, or Failed.

Thesis

(I ) The subject of the thesis referred to in regulation 7 shall be s ubmitted

by a candidate for the approval of the Board at any time after the candidate has been

admitted to the Course but, unless there is a good and sufficient cause to the satisfaction

of the Board , not later than the e nd of the founh semester o f the Course .

(2)

T he Board shall, after th e approval of the su bject of the thesis, appoint

(a)

a tutor to direct and supervise th e work of the candidate; and

(b)

a Board o f Examiners comlX'sed of three persons to examine the thesis.

8 75

(3) A candidate may submit his thesis for the approval of the Faculty Board

after he h a.~ completed Part One.

(4) A candidate. who, for a reason consideredjuslified by the Faculty Board ,

does not su bmit the thesis before the end of the sixth semester of the Course. may

submit it for the approval of the Faculty Board within a period of two YCllll> following

the final year. The said period of two years may be extended further by Senate for a

good and sufficient cause.

(5) The thesis shall be an original work on the approved subject or other

contribution to the knowledge thereof showing that the candidate has carried out

sufficient research therein.

(6) The thesis shall be presented in such format, be of such le ngth and be

su bmitted in such number of copies as the Faculty Board may direcl.

(7) The candidate . when submitting his thesis, shall sign a declaration stating

that it is his own personal work and specifying ex pressly if it has been previously

submitted o r is concurrently being sub mitted in candidature for another degree o r

diploma. In such case the stude nt shall also state what pan of il has been or is being so

submitted and the Fac ulty Board shal l have the right to decide whether to accept or not

such thesis.

(8) The Board of Examiners shall , within such time as may be detenn ined

by the Faculty Board . submit a report to the Faculty Board on the merits of the thesis

and as to whether it satisfies the requirements of paragraph (5) of this regulatio n.

(9) If the report of the Board o f Examiners is favourable. the candida te

shall be required to undergo a fin al oral exami nation before a Committee of the Faculty

Board. The said Co mmittee shall be composed of the members of the Board of

Examiners appointed to examine the thesis and the members o f the Faculty Board. The

quorum at meetings of the said Committee shall cons ist of tWO me mbers of the Board

o f Examiners and two members of the Faculty Board. The said Committee shall be

chaired by the Dean of the Fnculty and in his absence by a Chainnan elected by the

Committee .

( 10) The Committee shall report to the Faculty Board on the result o f the

oral examination mentioned in th is regu lation.

( 11 ) The Faculty Board, sha ll . after the rece ipt of such report . cause the

names o f candidntes who qualify for the award of the Degree 10 be published on the

nmice board of the University in alphabe tical order.

Diploma or Notary Public (N.P.)

II. Candidates who. in accordance with these regUlations, during the fin! two

semesters obtain a minimum of25 credits in the study-units indicated by the Board for

the purpose, shall be entitled to register forthecxami nation for the award of the Diploma

of Notary Public and if successful shall be entitled to such Diploma. Such examination

shall be held at lIle end of those two scmestcn; and a resit shall be allowed within three

months in any subject or subjects failed.

Rejoining of Course

(I)

A candidate who has interru pted his course of studies or who has failed

10 obtain the necessary credits in Part One of the Course or failed the Final Examinations

at the end of that Pan may be allowed by the Board to rejoin the Course in such year as

the Board may deem appropriate and in so doing the Board may requi re such student

to sit for such fUl1herexaminations. besides those specified in parngraph ( 1) of regulation

9 above. as it may deem necessary.

(2) In no ease shall a candidate complete his course of studies in a period

longer tha n five years except with the special pennission of Senate. for a good and

sufficient cause.

(3) Candidates who were following the LL.D. course under the regulations

in force prior to the present regu lations and had interrupted their course of studies or

failed in a pal1icular year at any time after the third year of that course may be al lowed

by the Board to join the Course notwi t hstanding that such candidates have not previously

obtained the BA degree specified in regu lation 4 hereof. and this in such semester and

under such conditio ns as the Board may deem necessary.

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