The recent escalation of tensions in the Strait of Hormuz has once again brought into focus the vulnerability of global maritime trade to geopolitical developments in strategic chokepoints. The strait remains one of the most critical shipping corridors worldwide, facilitating the transit of roughly one fifth of global oil exports and a significant portion of … Continued

The ownership and security rights over aircraft engines in Malta are governed by two complementary legal frameworks: domestic legislation, mainly the Aircraft Registration Act[1] (the “Act”), and the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment (the “Convention”) and its Aircraft Protocol as implemented into Maltese law and reproduced in the First Schedule to … Continued

This article is the first part of a three-part series examining employer and employee IP rights under Maltese law. 1. Introduction Intellectual Property (“IP”) has become an increasingly vital asset for organisations that rely on innovation, data and technology in their operations. As a result, IP ownership rights between employers and employees have become a … Continued

The Employment and Industrial Relations Act and Regulations enacted under the auspices of the Act, seek to protect employees from unfair and unlawful treatment. The term ‘employee’ is ordinarily associated with individuals having a contract of employment with his or her employer hence enjoying all benefits deriving from the employer and employee relationship. Throughout the … Continued

Introduction The judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Case C-77/24 (Wunner) constitutes a significant development in the private law dimensions of cross-border service provision within the European Union. The Court’s judgement, grounded in the Rome II Regulation on non-contractual obligations, substantially recalibrates the risk landscape for directors engaged in … Continued

The EU’s proposed third Payment Services Directive (“PSD3”), together with the accompanying Payment Services Regulation (“PSR”), represents a fundamental shift in the legal architecture governing fraud liability in payment services. The reforms respond to a perceived failure of the PSD2 framework to allocate risk clearly or fairly in cases of increasingly prevalent deception-based fraud, particularly … Continued

The SME Fund 2026, a European Commission initiative implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), is now open and will run until 04th December 2026, subject to availability of funds. The scheme provides financial support to EU-based SMEs to help cover the cost of protecting intellectual property rights. Applications may be submitted by … Continued

Malta has once again confirmed its strong standing as a high-quality flag State in the latest Shipping Industry Flag State Performance Table published by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS). The newest edition highlights continued positive performance by the majority of flag States responsible for the safety and environmental standards of the global merchant fleet. … Continued

On 16 December 2025, selected provisions of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act XVIII of 2025) (the “Amendment Act”) were brought into force by virtue of Legal Notice 286 of 2025 (Government Gazette No. 21,556), amending the Companies Act, Chapter 386 of the laws of Malta (the “Companies Act” or “Act”). On the same date, … Continued

This article constitutes the second and concluding part of a two-part series examining recent developments in family-related leave entitlements under Maltese law. Following the introduction of miscarriage leave under Legal Notice 274 of 2025, Legal Notice 275 of 2025 has amended the Minimum Special Leave Entitlement Regulations (Subsidiary Legislation 452.101 of the Laws of Malta) … Continued