Malta [National constitutions and EU Integration]

Abstract

The Constitution of Malta is the supreme law of the land. Malta was a British colony from 1813 to 1964 and as a consequence constitutional and administrative law in Malta have been heavily influenced by the English common law position, even though English common law was never formally part of Maltese law. Under the 1964 Constitution - amended in 1974 and 1987 - Malta is a democratic republic with a unicameral House of Representatives of at least 65 members. The country has proportional representation using the single transferable vote system. A party which obtains a majority of votes but a minority of seats is allocated additional seats to give it an overall majority of one. The House is composed of an odd number of members elected for a single legislative term of five years: five members are returned from each of 13 electoral districts using the single transferable vote electoral system, but additional members are elected in cases of disproportionality (where a party with an absolute majority of votes fails to win an absolute majority of seats and where only candidates from two parties are elected). The House may not sit for longer than five years. The President is the head of state and is elected for a five-year period of office by the House of Representatives. [excerpt]