Following approval by Parliament and welcomed by the various players in the Financial Services and Gaming Industry, a new Commercial section of the Civil Court will enter into force on 9th April 2018.
The absence of a commercial court in Malta in recent years raised concerns amongst several bodies and international credit agencies. This newly re-established commercial division will be tasked with hearing and adjudicating upon Company Law related matters governed by the Maltese Companies Act, including, inter alia bankruptcy, insolvency and winding-up proceedings. It is being set up with a view to enhancing the efficiency and quality of the Maltese Courts by providing a more specialised and accessible judicial service to citizens running a business as well as companies in commercial disputes.
The need for this Court was already being felt from within the Courts’ structures, as in practice there were already informal arrangements for the formation of the Commercial Court. The establishment of this Court is aimed at addressing better the various issues which citizens involved in business structures encounter on a commercial level.
Furthermore, by virtue of a second Legal Notice, which is anticipated in the near future, there will be the implementation of a system which allows for the possibility of filing an online application in the Commercial division via the ecourts.gov.mt website. Consequently, this will guarantee a more convenient and efficient service to all parties concerned