If you are familiar with any of the below scenarios, then you must also know that you have the right to appeal with Immigration Appeals Board as per below notifications:

• If your Single Permit Application was refused, you have a right to appeal this decision with the Immigration Appeals Board within three days of the notification of such decision in accordance with Article 20(2) of Subsidiary Legislation 217.17.
• If your Visa Application was refused, annulled or revoked by Maltese authorities, you have the right to appeal this decision with the Immigration Appeals Board within fifteen days of the notification of such decision as per Article 25A(5) of Chapter 217.
• If you received a return order to go back to your country, you have the right to appeal this decision with the Immigration Appeals Board within three days of the notification of such decision. The right to appeal is also stated in Article 25A(5) of Chapter 217.

Keeping proper documentation is of utmost importance in the case of appeals, as one would need to show proof of various circumstances such as justification for intended stay, proof of job skills for Single Permit Applications, proof of work, accommodation, and medical insurance for Visa approvals and so on and so forth.

Immigration, work permits, Visa refusals and appeals in Malta are delicate matters that need to be seen immediately since the right to appeal varies from just few days up to maximum of two weeks from receipt of these notifications. Our immigration lawyers are aware of this and have great experience and expertise within the immigration law in Malta and all the necessary processes. They work closely with the Immigration Appeals Board in Malta to assist you with appeals on removal and return orders.

For more info visit here: https://sciberras.legal/practice-areas/immigration-law/

If you require immediate assistance, please contact one of our immigration lawyers in Malta on [email protected].

This article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Article written by Ms Charlene Sciberras, B.A. (Hons), guest writer, a marketing and business administration specialist with a special focus on corporate, accounting, and legal matters.

Sciberras Advocates founded by Dr Adrian Sciberras, is a law firm based in Malta. The firm prides itself to be multi-disciplinary, innovative and flexible in order to meet the changing times and any challenges in the local and international legal scenario. No matter what private or corporate complex demands are called for, Sciberras Advocates offers practical and cost-effective legal solutions to achieve your desired results. You may reach Sciberras Advocates by phone on +35627795222 or via email on [email protected].

In recent months, Malta has legalised recreational cannabis for personal use. This law now allows the formation of cannabis clubs (or cannabis associations) in Malta. These associations will be monitored by the newly formed regulatory authority being the Responsible Use of Cannabis Authority. Such associations which will be non-profit organisations, will have as their aim the cultivation of cannabis to be distributed among its members.

Currently the Responsible Use of Cannabis Authority is drafting the official guidelines for the cannabis clubs. Meanwhile, in this article today we are giving some unofficial information about such cannabis clubs (or cannabis associations) and their memberships in Malta. This is what we know so far.

• Cannabis clubs must register with the new Responsible Use of Cannabis Authority.
• Cannabis clubs must file a report every three months with this authority.
• Cannabis club membership lists will remain anonymous.
• Cannabis clubs will be able to grow cannabis in the same facilities as their club location.
• Cannabis clubs will also eventually be able to grow cannabis in a different location from where the club is registered.
• Cannabis club premises must be located at least 250 meters away from schools or youth centres.
• Cannabis clubs can issue a maximum of seven grams per member-per day, as long as the total of grams distributed does not exceed 50 grams per-member per-month.
• Cannabis clubs can de-register members who are not active.
• Cannabis clubs will be monitored by a software and must send data to the authority.
• Cannabis clubs must not exceed five hundred members.
• Cannabis clubs will not be open for public, but only for members.
• Cannabis clubs will not be a meeting place for smoking or drinking.
• Cannabis clubs cannot distribute joints or any other weed products such as cookies or cupcakes.
• Cannabis club members must be over 18 of years of age.
• Cannabis club members will be able to purchase weed (leaves or compressed) and collect it.
• Cannabis club members must be in possession of a Maltese ID or residence card.
• Cannabis club members will not be allowed to join more than one cannabis association at the same time.

Please note once again that this is not yet official information since the guidelines are not yet issued from the authority. 

If you are interested in opening a cannabis club or cannabis association, please contact our lawyer in Malta on [email protected]. Once the guidelines are issued, we will be able to assist you in setting up the Malta cannabis club or Malta cannabis association.

This article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Article written by Ms Charlene Sciberras, B.A. (Hons), guest writer, a marketing and business administration specialist with a special focus on corporate, accounting, and legal matters.

Sciberras Advocates founded by Dr Adrian Sciberras, is a law firm based in Malta. The firm prides itself to be multi-disciplinary, innovative and flexible in order to meet the changing times and any challenges in the local and international legal scenario. No matter what private or corporate complex demands are called for, Sciberras Advocates offers practical and cost-effective legal solutions to achieve your desired results. You may reach Sciberras Advocates by phone on +35627795222 or via email on [email protected].

The main legislation in Malta that are focused on employment are Chapter 452 – Employment and Industrial Relations Act (EIRA) and Chapter 343 – Employment and Training Services Act. At the same time, the Department for Industrial and Employment Relations (DIER) is there to protect the interests of parties in employment contracts while actively promoting a healthy employment relationship in a spirit of social partnership, and to contribute towards stable industrial relations.

The local authorities in Malta also work alongside with the EU Employment law framework and other international labour organisations to ensure a good working relationship between employers and employees to know their relevant rights and obligations.

When an employment contract is drafted, it ensures that employees have all their rights safeguarded thanks to the statutory conditions of employment. These include the right to work in a safe workplace, that at least the national minimum wage is paid, gender equality, vacation leave, and that no discrimination will take place.

If the legally binding contract is breached by any of the parties, meaning that either the employer or employee breaks one of the terms, a legal action is required to take place. Then there is also unfair dismissal. Dismissal and the rights and obligations of the respective parties are matters subject to strict regulation under the Maltese law. The Employer may only terminate a contract of employment based on a ‘good and sufficient’ cause, redundancy, or the employee reaching retirement age.

The following are a few example scenarios that are not considered to be ‘good and sufficient’ causes:

• Getting married
• Going on maternity
• Becoming a member of a trade union
• Joining religious groups
• Employer no longer having the confidence of the employee
• Disclosing information to a public regulating body regarding alleged illegal activities being committed by the employer.

In case of disputes, if the Tribunal reaches the conclusion that employment was terminated without a ‘good and sufficient’ cause, the employee may seek to either be reinstatement or ask for compensation. If any of these unfair dismissals sounds familiar to you, we invite you to contact our office for assistance. Our team will help you fight for your rights and compensations. Please contact us on [email protected].

This article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Article written by Ms Charlene Sciberras, B.A. (Hons), guest writer, a marketing and business administration specialist with a special focus on corporate, accounting, and legal matters.

Sciberras Advocates founded by Dr Adrian Sciberras, is a law firm based in Malta. The firm prides itself to be multi-disciplinary, innovative and flexible in order to meet the changing times and any challenges in the local and international legal scenario. No matter what private or corporate complex demands are called for, Sciberras Advocates offers practical and cost-effective legal solutions to achieve your desired results. You may reach Sciberras Advocates by phone on +35627795222 or via email on [email protected].

One sector that is often forgotten is the security of your brand, product or company. It is important to realise that one day your business can become the most valuable asset for you, and the best way to protect it is to have a registered trademark. Many aspects for your brand can be protected by trademarking. In brief, trademarks matter for the following reasons.

Registered trademarks:

• increase your freedom to operate.
• establish the legal ownership of the brand.
• save money in the long run, in case of conflicts with other businesses
• increase the value of your brand
• means serious business
• the ® symbol is good for marketing purposes

The Malta Trademarks Act 2000 identifies that a “trademark may, in particular, consist of words (including personal names), figurative element, letters, numerals or the shape of good of their packaging”. This or a combination of these elements will help one to distinguish a specific business, goods or services. Furthermore, since Malta is an EU member state, local businesses can also opt for a trademark protection that covers on an EU level, referred to as European Union Trade Mark (EUTM).  

Generally, a trademark application takes around 8 months from application date to be processed for vetting purposes. Keeping this lengthy process in mind, it is imperative to plan ahead, and it is suggested to seek professional guidance throughout the application process to make sure that all requested information and paperwork is submitted successfully. Once an application is approved, the proprietor will acquire exclusive property rights on the trademark.

At Sciberras Advocates, we can assist in all services related to trademarking such as submitting applications and renewals, litigation, arbitration or negotiation of legal rights as well as TM portfolio planning and restructuring. More info here: https://sciberras.legal/practice-areas/malta-eu-trademarks/.

This article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Article written by Ms Charlene Sciberras, B.A. (Hons), guest writer, a marketing and business administration specialist with a special focus on corporate, accounting, and legal matters.

Sciberras Advocates founded by Dr Adrian Sciberras, is a law firm based in Malta. The firm prides itself to be multi-disciplinary, innovative and flexible in order to meet the changing times and any challenges in the local and international legal scenario. No matter what private or corporate complex demands are called for, Sciberras Advocates offers practical and cost-effective legal solutions to achieve your desired results. You may reach Sciberras Advocates by phone on +35627795222 or via email on [email protected].

In commercial circles one finds use of the term trader. This notion is defined in Article 4 of the Maltese Commercial Code as being “any person who, by profession, exercises acts of trade in his own name, and includes any commercial partnership”.

If one, whether a physical person or a commercial partnership, falls under this definition of a trader, then as a trader they are subject to specific duties and obligations, as well as entitled to several rights. Interestingly, a commercial partnership may only be considered as a trader at the moment that it registers to be so with the Malta Business Registry. On the other hand, the physical person is considered a trader when he acts as such.

It is essential that the person carries out any of the objective acts of trade, listed in Articles 5 and 6 of the Commercial Code, with the intention of making a profit. These acts of trade must be carried out in a habitual manner as the element of repetition is key in distinguishing between a trader and a non-trader carrying out a random act of trade. The frequency of such repetition depends on the type of act of trade being carried out, more specifically whether the object concerned is a movable or an immovable.

In carrying out the acts of trade in his own name, the trader is clearly accepting the responsibility pertaining to such acts. However, the law allows for other persons, whom are auxiliary to the trader, to assist the trader. These persons, the agents, carry out acts of trade on behalf of the trader, the principal, without being considered as traders themselves.

Above all, these acts of trade must be carried out ‘by profession’ – meaning that the trader relies on them to make an income. Since the law does not specify otherwise, such acts of trade may be exercised both publicly and privately. In instances where there is doubt as to whether one is a trader, it is up to the Commercial Court to decide so after evaluating the proof brought by the person accusing the trader not to be such.

At Sciberras Advocates we can guide you to the setting up of a sole trader / self-employed business from the legal and commercial perspective by providing you the necessary registration with the VAT and tax authorities and guiding you accordingly.

This article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Article written by Ms Chantal Borg, currently reading a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at University of Malta.

Sciberras Advocates founded by Dr Adrian Sciberras, is a law firm based in Malta. The firm prides itself to be multi-disciplinary, innovative and flexible in order to meet the changing times and any challenges in the local and international legal scenario. No matter what private or corporate complex demands are called for, Sciberras Advocates offers practical and cost-effective legal solutions to achieve your desired results. You may reach Sciberras Advocates by phone on +35627795222 or via email on [email protected].

Following an expression of the public interest for the use of Cannabis to be permitted in Malta, the current Government has moved forward with legalising, in a regulated manner, such use. Indeed, on the basis of the White Paper, introduced on the 30^th of March 2021, an entire new legal reform has been introduced and put into effect as of the 14^th of December 2021.

This legal reform speaks of associations which are essentially ‘non-profit organisations’ having as their aim the cultivation of cannabis to be dispersed among its members. Notably, legal persons and legal entities are prohibited from forming part of the organisation, be it as members, owners or leaders.

These organisations must be registered with, and permitted by, an Authority regulating the responsible use of cannabis – established by the same legal reform. They are to provide the authority with an activity report, as well as a report indicating its member count (keeping anonymity), with a three-month interval. This authority will regulate such organisations with respect to how much cannabis can be cultivated, the location in which it can be dried and the particulars relating to its transportation. Indeed, this Authority will oversee the quantity and quality which the organisations may distribute.

The association must not exceed five hundred members, and no one may be member to more than one organisation of this nature. Prohibited from forming part of these organisations are persons who have not attained the age of eighteen. Such persons may not be in the presence of any premises operated by such an organisation.

The regulations of concerning distribution entail that such organisation is limited to issuing a maximum of seven grams per member-per day, as long as the total of grams issued does not exceed fifty grams per-member per-month. More so, such organisation may distribute a maximum of twenty cannabis seeds per-member per-month. Essential to note is that at no point may the organisation have in its fund or possession more than five hundred grams of dried cannabis.

With regard to the premises in which the organisation operates, it must be of a distance which is not less than two-hundred-fifty meters from any school, club or youth centre. There must be no indication by any means (such as signs) to the organisation’s nature. The organisation must ensure that such premises do not cause any harassment to the locality in which it is situated, including loitering.

You can read more about this in our dedicated webpage: https://sciberras.legal/practice-areas/cannabis-law/. If interested in establishing such an organisation contact us at Sciberras Advocates for legal guidance and expertise.

This article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Article written by Ms Chantal Borg, currently reading a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at University of Malta.

Sciberras Advocates founded by Dr Adrian Sciberras, is a law firm based in Malta. The firm prides itself to be multi-disciplinary, innovative and flexible in order to meet the changing times and any challenges in the local and international legal scenario. No matter what private or corporate complex demands are called for, Sciberras Advocates offers practical and cost-effective legal solutions to achieve your desired results. You may reach Sciberras Advocates by phone on +35627795222 or via email on [email protected].