The Maltese Archipelago is made of three sister islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino. The Maltese Archipelago, between Sicily and the North African coast, is known for its rich historical sites which include some dating back to 3600 B.C. Malta was also one of the few countries which was subject to the Roman Empire, Moors, Sovereign Military Order Knights Hospitaller of St John, French and British Empire.

Malta being the largest of the three islands can be considered as having the appropriate infrastructure for it to be considered as a business hub in the centre of the Mediterranean. In 2004 it also became a fully fledged member state within the European Union. Malta offers the ideal infrastructure having fixed air links, shipping transport logistics grid, and state of the art telecommunication systems.

The above historical background also impinged on the Maltese legal system evidenced by its hybrid legal system developed over several centuries. 

The foundation of the Maltese legal systems is based on Roman law, as codified by the great Roman Emperor Justinian, which was applied as the sole legal system for several centuries. The developments to Roman law, as rediscovered and practiced by the majority of the Continental Europe, were also adopted in Malta.

Upon the Sovereign Military Order Knights Hospitaller of St John redeployment to Malta the preponderance of the Roman law increased and strengthened. In 1784, the Knights Hospitaller promulgated the Code de Rohan which was only substituted by a local version of the Code Napoleon in 1852 - almost five decades after Malta voluntarily became part of the British Empire as a protectorate.

During the British administration the empire introduced several legal institutions and principles such as trial by jury, the rules of evidence and the organisation of the courts itself. As time passed by a hybrid legal system was broadened and deepened by having several Laws promulgated by the Maltese Parliament and all this saw its peak post-Independence in 1964.

The next major inroad to the Maltese legal system was the European Union Treaty, which was transposed into Maltese law.

In the past three decades we have seen Malta becoming a financial centre of excellence, providing a secure, constant and prosperous development in this niche legal and financial sector. The rich historical and legal developments aforementioned provide the ideal jurisdiction for financial endeavours.

Some facts and figures: 

  • Area: 316 sq km. 
  • Population: 425,384 
  • Capital City: Valletta. 
  • Climate: Mediterranean. 
  • Currency: Euro (€). 
  • European Union Membership: since 2004. 
  • Official Languages: Maltese and English. 
  • Time zone: GMT+1 (Central European Time).
  • GDP per capita / PPI: 86% of EU average (Eurostat, 2013).
  • Unemployment: 6.4% (NSO, 2014).

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