Degree Course (Amendment) Regulations, 2009

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L.N. 281 of 2009

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

The Doctor of Laws – LLD. –

Degree Course (Amendment) Regulations, 2009

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred upon him by articles 74(5)

and 75(6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the

University of Malta has promulgated the following regulations made by

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

upon it by articles 75 and 79 of the said Act

Citation

These regulations may be cited as the Doctor of Laws – LL.D. – Degree

Course, (Amendment) Regulations, 2009 and shall be read and construed as one

with the Doctor of Laws – LL.D. – Degree Course Regulations, 1997, published as

Legal Notice 9 of 1997, hereinafter referred to as “the principal regulations”.

Applicability

These regulations shall be applicable with effect from 1st October,

2009. Amendment of regulation 4 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (1) of regulation 4 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“Special Course Requirements

(1) 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 following Special Course Requirements

(a) have obtained the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Legal and Humanistic

Studies with at least Category IIB or the degree of Bachelor of Laws with at least

Second Class (Honours);

(b) (i) for courses commencing prior to and in October 2010, have obtained

at least a 53% average in the study-units assigned to the compulsory programme of

studies of the Laws main area of study in the Bachelor of Laws course; or in the case

of students who were awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Legal and

Humanistic Studies have obtained at least 54 UoM/108 ECTS credits in the Laws

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main area of study and have at least a Grade C average in the Final Examinations

held in that area of study,

provided that the examinations and the credits for study-units in the Laws main area

must be those indicated by the Board as necessary for a student to proceed to the

LL.D. course, and

provided further that the Faculty Admissions Committee shall still allow a student to

proceed to the LL.D. course if he has obtained an overall mark of 52% in the

compulsory programme of studies of the Laws main area of study in the Bachelor of

Laws course, if the student has obtained an overall mark of at least 53% in each of

the second and third years of the course mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) above;

or

(ii) for courses commencing from October 2011 onwards, have obtained at

least a 55% average in the study-units assigned to the compulsory programme of

studies of the Laws main area of study in the Bachelor of Laws course; or in the case

of students who were awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Legal and

Humanistic Studies have obtained at least 54 UoM/108 ECTS credits in the Laws

main area of study and have at least a Grade C average in the Final Examinations

held in that area of study,

provided that the examinations and the credits for study-units in the Laws main area

must be those indicated by the Board as necessary for a student to proceed to the

LL.D. course, and

provided further that the Faculty Admissions Committee shall still allow a student to

proceed to the LL.D. course if he has obtained an overall mark of 54% in the

compulsory programme of studies of the Laws main area of study in the Bachelor of

Laws course, if the student has obtained an overall mark of at least 55% in each of

the second and third years of the course mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) above;

(c) have obtained passes in English and in Maltese at Intermediate Level or

higher,

provided that students who had commenced their studies for the Matriculation

Certificate Examination in October 2001 shall not be required to be in possession of

these passes; and

provided that non-Maltese citizens may offer their own language instead of

Maltese; and

provided further that mature students not in possession of these passes shall

be exempted from this requirement if they were already so exempted from similar

special course requirements upon entry into the Bachelor of Arts in Legal and

Humanistic Studies or the Bachelor of Laws course.”

4. For paragraph (4) of regulation 4 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“(4) Candidates in possession of the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Legal and

Humanistic Studies or the Bachelor of Laws who do not have the necessary

requirements to register for the Course in terms of sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of

paragraph (1) of this regulation, as well as candidates in possession of a degree in

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law other than the Bachelor of Arts in Legal and Humanistic Studies and the

Bachelor of Laws that is considered by the Board to be of an equivalent standard,

may be allowed by the Board to register for a qualifying year of studies made up of

Law subjects as determined by the Board. Such candidates shall become eligible to

be admitted to the Course leading to the Degree if they obtain a 53% average or in

the case of candidates who will commence the Doctor of Laws course from October

2011 onwards if they obtain a 55% average in the programme of studies.”

Amendment of regulation 5 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (1) of regulation 5 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“Course Structure

5. (1) The Course shall extend over three years, and shall be divided into

two parts: Part One and Part Two.”

For paragraph (3) of regulation 5 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“(3) The Board shall publish the programme of studies for the Course which

shall contain a schedule of study-units and of the credits assigned to each after

approval by Senate. The Board may amend such programme of studies from time to

time as it may deem advisable, provided this is done before the beginning of the

academic year and after approval by Senate.”

Amendment of regulation 6 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (1) of regulation 6 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“Part One of Course

6. (1) Part One shall extend over the first four semesters of the Course.

To successfully complete Part One of the Course, a candidate must obtain a

minimum of 110 credits (including the credits for all compulsory study-units), of

which a minimum of 54 credits (including the credits for the compulsory study-

units) shall be taken in the first two semesters.”

For paragraph (2) of regulation 6 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“(2) A candidate who fails to obtain the minimum number of credits in the

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

Paragraph (3) of regulation 6 of the principal regulations shall be deleted.

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Paragraph (4) of regulation 6 of the principal regulations shall be

renumbered as paragraph (3).

For paragraph (3) of regulation 6 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“(3) A candidate who fails to obtain the necessary number of credits as well

as a pass grade in all the compulsory study-units in Part One of the Course shall not

be allowed to proceed to Part Two of the Course, saving the provisions of regulation

11.”

Amendment of regulation 7 of the principal regulations

For regulation 7 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“Part Two

7. Part Two shall consist of study-units to which not less than 20 credits

shall be assigned, the submission of a thesis to which 40 credits shall be assigned

and a final oral examination on the subject thereof;

provided that no candidate shall be allowed to submit his thesis to the Board before

he has obtained a pass grade in all the compulsory study-units taught in Part One of

the Course; and

provided that if a student obtains more than 110 ECTS credits in Part One of the

Course, he may carry over the extra credits so obtained in Part One of the Course to

Part Two of the Course on account of the study-units to which not less than 20

credits are assigned in this part. The compulsory units indicated for Part Two of the

course shall have to be taken by the student independently of the number of credits

obtained as a result of such carrying over.”

Amendment of regulation 8 of the principal regulations

For regulation 8 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted the

following

“Progress

8. (1) Marks/grades shall be awarded according to the General Regulations

for University Postgraduate and Undergraduate Awards, as applicable.

(2) A candidate who fails to obtain a credit for a study-unit shall be

allowed to refer it to the following year of studies or to an additional year of study if

the unit is a final year unit.”

Deletion of regulation 9 of the principal regulations

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Regulation 9 of the principal regulations shall be deleted.

Regulations 10, 11 and 12 of the principal regulations shall be

renumbered as regulations 9, 10 and 11.

Amendment of regulation 9 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (8) of regulation 9 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“(8) The Board of Examiners shall, within such time as may be determined

by the Board, submit a report to the Board on the merits of the thesis and as to

whether it satisfies the requirements of paragraph (5) of this regulation and shall also

proceed to mark and grade the thesis according to the provisions of the General

Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards.”

Amendment of regulation 10 of the principal regulations

For regulation 10 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted

the following

“Diploma of Notary Public (N.P.)

10. Candidates who, in accordance with these regulations, during the first

two semesters of Part One of the Course obtain the minimum number of credits

mentioned in regulation 6(1) and obtain a pass in all the compulsory study-units

shall be entitled to be awarded the Diploma of Notary Public.”

Amendment of regulation 11 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (1) of regulation 11 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“Rejoining the Course

11. (1) A candidate who has interrupted his course of studies and/or who has

failed to obtain the necessary number of credits, and/or failed to obtain a pass grade

in all the compulsory study-units in Part One of the Course, may be allowed by the

Board to rejoin or continue the Course in such year as the Board may deem

appropriate and in so doing the Board may require such a candidate to obtain a pass

grade in such study-units as it may deem necessary.”

Deletion of regulation 12 of the principal regulations

Regulation 12 of the principal regulations shall be deleted.