The first research report to make a compendium of the laws that affect the sector of construction is completed

The Faculty of Law of the University of Malta has completed the first phase of research on Construction Laws in Malta

The Minister for Public Works and Planning Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi was presented with the first research report carried out by the Faculty of Law to make a compendium of the laws that affect the sector of construction. This is after last May a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry for Public Works and Planning and the University of Malta with the aim to further strengthening and consolidating the laws that regulate construction in Malta.

The research was coordinated by the Lecturer in Civil Law Dr. Kurt Scerri within the Faculty of Law.

Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that there was a need to collect laws and regulations related to the construction sector in one publication. This collection of laws and regulations must be updated regularly. This exercise is helpful for anyone who in some way works in this sector and offers a good point of reference. It will also serve as a good basis for analyzing various laws and regulations made at different times. This analysis process will be an important step in the process of strengthening regulations that the Government is carrying out for the construction sector.

For his part, Dr. Scerri said that this exercise conceived by the Ministry of Public Works and Planning is making an analysis of various laws in force and shedding light on potential legislative inconsistencies that may exist at present, while putting forward proposals to address them for the benefit of all participants in the construction sector and the public in general as well as giving more legal clarity.

Dr. Scerri also noted that while according to the first regulation, that of the Civil Code, the protection of the rules on construction was a matter that had to be resolved between the private citizens themselves, over time there was a clear interest of the state on behalf of all citizens. The regulation of the construction sector therefore became above all a public matter, added Dr. Scerri.

The research prepared by the Faculty of Law will be online on the website of the Ministry for Public Works and Planning on https://xoghlijietpubblici.gov.mt/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Compendium-of-Laws-Regulating-Construction-in-Malta.pdf as well as on the website of the Building and Construction Authority, the BCA. The title of the document which can be found on this website under the ‘Guidance Documents’ is Compendium of Laws Regulating Construction in Malta (V1 – 07092023) and can be accessed directly from this link: https://bca.org.mt/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Compendium-of-Laws-Regulating-Construction-in-Malta-V1-07092023.pdf