The development of notarial acts in Malta : a comparative and historico-legal study

Abstract

The research here conducted provides an extensive outlook on the state of the notarial profession from 15th-century Malta to the country’s colonisation by the British Empire in the beginning of the 19th century. A legal analysis is undertaken to help the reader understand the significant changes that have been brought by the reforms enacted throughout the centuries by the Grand Masters of the Order of St John and the legal contributions made by Sir Adriano Dingli during Malta’s colonial era. The aim of this research is to ultimately instill into the reader an appreciative approach towards Malta’s past and towards the great historical value that the acts in the Notarial Archives possess, whilst contributing to existing knowledge of the history of the notarial profession as well as raising awareness on the rich heritage that our island has to offer.