The constitution of a court of criminal appeal in Malta

Abstract

With the promulgation of Act XXV of 1967, an important innovation was introduced in our legal criminal system, namely the constitution of a Court of Criminal Appeal, and Malta can boast of having made a forward and progressive step in fulfilling its duty towards the amelioration of the administration of justice in criminal matters. In the preparation of the thesis, the undersigned has, in the first part, taken into consideration the situation relating to appeals in criminal matters in Malta since the rule of the Knights of the Order of Saint John, and subsequently the historical background and developments which ultimately led to the enactment of the law creating the Court of Criminal Appeal. The purport of the second part is to prove the Maltese law, as at present, is not only at par with that of other legally progressive states in the ruling of appeals in criminal matters, but may be held to be even more liberal in favour of the accused.