BOOK SECOND
LAWS OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I
OF THE AUTHORITIES TO WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS ENTRUSTED

Title I Of the Powers and Duties of the Executive Police in respect of Criminal Prosecutions

Sub-title III POWERS OF ENTRY, SEARCH AND SEIZURE UNDER WARRANT

355E. (1) Saving the cases where the law provides otherwise, no police officer shall, without a warrant from a Magistrate, enter any premises, house, building or enclosure for the purpose of effecting any search therein or arresting any person who has committed or is reasonably suspected of having committed or of being about to commit any offence unless -

(a) the offence is a crime other than a crime punishable under the Press Act and there is imminent danger that the said person may escape or that the corpus delicti or the means of proving the offence will be suppressed; or

(b) the person is detected in the very act of committing a crime other than a crime punishable under the Press Act; or

(c) the intervention of the Police is necessary in order to prevent the commission of a crime other than a crime punishable under the Press Act; or

(d) the entry is necessary for the execution of any warrant or order issued by any other competent authority in the cases prescribed by law; or

(e) the arrest is for the purpose of apprehending a person who is unlawfully at large after escaping from lawful arrest or detention; or

(f) the entry is necessary for purposes of:
(i) executing the arrest, or ascertaining the whereabouts, of a person in respect of whom an alert has been entered in the Schengen Information System and there is an imminent danger that the said person may escape; or
(ii) discovering any property in respect of which an alert has been entered in the Schengen
Information System and there is an imminent danger that the property may be concealed, lost, damaged, altered or destroyed.

(2) The expression "enclosure" does not include any plot of land enclosed by rubble walls.

(3) A warrant may also be issued by a Magistrate as mentioned in subarticle (1) for the purpose of:
(a) effecting the arrest or ascertaining the whereabouts of a person in respect of whom an alert has been entered in the Schengen Information System; or
(b) discovering and seizing any property in respect of which an alert has been entered in the Schengen Information System.


355F. In cases where a police officer is empowered to enter into any of the places mentioned in the last preceding article, it shall be lawful for such officer to open or break any door or window, if, after giving notice of his office and object, he cannot otherwise obtain entry.


355G. (1) Any entry and search warrant issued under this Sub¬title and any search or seizure made under the provisions of this Sub-title shall not extend to legal privilege or to any excluded material.

(2) An entry and search warrant issued under this Sub-title shall be deemed to have been granted to the police officer or officers executing it.

(3) Without prejudice to the right of obtaining a new warrant for the same purpose, an entry and search warrant may not be executed after the lapse of one month from the date of issue.


355H. No warrant of entry and search may be executed after sunset unless the Magistrate has otherwise authorised in the warrant, or unless the executing Police officer has reasonable cause to believe that the purpose of the entry and search will be frustrated if the execution of the warrant is delayed.


355I. The executing officer shall hand over a copy of the warrant to the person occupying and present at the place searched or to any other person who appears to the said officer to be in charge of the same place and who happens to be present during the search. If there is no person present who appears to the executing officer to be in charge of the premises the copy of the warrant shall be left in an easily visible place on the premises.


355J. A search under a warrant may only be a search to the extent required for the purpose for which the warrant was issued:
Provided that if, in the course of the search, offences other than the offence or offences mentioned in the warrant are discovered, the search may extend to the extent required for the purposes of such other offences.

BOOK SECOND
LAWS OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I
OF THE AUTHORITIES TO WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS ENTRUSTED

Title I Of the Powers and Duties of the Executive Police in respect of Criminal Prosecutions

Sub-title VI
POWERS OF ARREST AND DETENTION

355Z. The general arrest conditions are -

(a) that the identity of the person is unknown or cannot be
readily ascertained by the police officer; or

(b) there is a doubt whether the particulars furnished by the person are true; or

(c) that the person has not furnished a satisfactory address for service, or there are doubts about whether the address provided is satisfactory for service, or that at least some other person may according to law receive service on his behalf at the address given; or

(d) that the arrest is necessary to prevent the person -
(i) causing physical harm to himself or to any other person; or
(ii) suffering physical injury; or
(iii) causing loss or damage to property; or
(iv) committing an offence against public decency; or
(v) causing an unlawful obstruction on any public road; or

(e) that the police officer has reasonable grounds for believing that the arrest is necessary to protect a child or any other vulnerable person.


355AB. The officer or any other person authorised by law making an arrest shall not use any harshness, bond or other means of restraint unless indispensably required to secure, or rendered necessary by the insubordination of the person arrested.


355AC. (1) When a person is arrested, the arrest is not lawful unless the person arrested is informed that he is under arrest, even though the arrest may be obvious.

(2) The arrest is not lawful unless the person arrested is informed at the time of his arrest or detention, in a language that he understands, of the reasons for his arrest or detention:
Provided that if an interpreter is necessary and is not readily available or if it is otherwise impracticable to comply with the provisions of this sub-article at the time of the person’s arrest or detention, such provisions shall be complied with as soon as practicable:
Provided further that, in any case, where the arrest is made by a private person under the provisions of article 355V the giving of the information may be delayed until the person arrested is taken over by the Police.


355AD. (1) Where, in the course of an investigation, a person attends voluntarily at, or accompanies a police officer to, a police station or office, that person shall be free to leave at any time, unless and until he is informed that he is under arrest.

(2) Where an inspector of Police has a reasonable suspicion that the person who attended voluntarily at the police station or office may have committed an offence subject to imprisonment, he may arrest such person forthwith without warrant and inform him accordingly. The time of the arrest shall be immediately recorded and immediate notice thereof shall be given to a Magistrate.

(3) The Police may, orally or by a notice in writing, require any person to attend at the police station or other place indicated by them to give such information and to produce such documents as the Police may require and if that person so attends at the police station or place indicated to him he shall be deemed to have attended that police station or other place voluntarily. The written notice referred to in this subarticle shall contain a warning of the consequences of failure to comply, as are mentioned in subarticle (5).

(4) Any person who is considered by the police to be in possession of any information or document relevant to any investigation has a legal obligation to comply with a request from the police to attend at a police station to give as required any such information or document:
Provided that no person is bound to supply any information or document which tends to incriminate him.

(5) A person who fails to comply with a notice in writing as is referred to in subarticle (3) or who fails, upon being so requested, even if only orally, to accompany voluntarily a police officer to a police station or other place indicated by the police officer for any purpose mentioned in the said subarticle
(3) shall be guilty of a contravention punishable with detention and shall be liable to be arrested immediately under warrant.

(6) The notice mentioned in subarticle (3) may be served with urgency in cases where the interests of justice so require.

(7) A person who attends voluntarily as mentioned in subarticle (3) may be kept apart from any other person, but shall not be kept in any place normally used for the detention of arrested persons.


355AE. (1) When a police officer arrests a person at a place other than a police station the arrested person shall be taken to the nearest police station and where the arresting officer is an officer below the rank of inspector he shall forthwith report the arrest to an officer not below the rank of inspector. In any case the inspector or officer in charge of that police station shall also be informed.

(2) Where there are grounds for the continuation of the arrest the person arrested shall be taken to a designated police station as soon as practicable and in no case later than six hours from the time of the arrest.

(3) The taking of an arrested person to a police station in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this article may be delayed if that person’s presence is required elsewhere for the purpose of any investigation which may be necessary.

(4) Where a person is released following arrest the police officer ordering release shall record in writing the fact stating reasons.


355AF. (1) A police officer may immediately search the person arrested:
(a) if the police officer has reasonable grounds for believing that the arrested person may present a danger to himself or others; or
(b) for anything which the arrested person might use to assist him to escape from custody; or
(c) for anything which might be evidence related to an offence.

(2) The provisions of article 353 of this Code shall apply to searches under this article.

BOOK SECOND
LAWS OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I
OF THE AUTHORITIES TO WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS ENTRUSTED

Title I Of the Powers and Duties of the Executive Police in respect of Criminal Prosecutions

Sub-title VII
WARRANTS

355AG. (1) Saving the provisions of article 666, it is the duty of the Police to execute any warrant or order of arrest or search that may, in the cases prescribed by law, be issued or given by any other competent authority.

(2) Any such warrant or order shall set forth the nature of the offence, the name of the person, if known, by whom the offence is alleged to have been committed and, in the case of a search warrant, it shall indicate the place where the search is to be carried out.

(3) Once a warrant or order of arrest or search has been issued any police officer may execute the warrant or order.


355AH. (1) Whenever according to law the carrying out of an act by the police requires the issue of a warrant by a Magistrate a police officer may apply in person to a Magistrate requesting the issue of the appropriate warrant stating the grounds for the request and giving the Magistrate all such information that will enable the Magistrate to decide on the request. Before deciding whether to issue the warrant the Magistrate may require the police officer to confirm on oath the information supplied by him and the warrant shall only be issued upon the Magistrate being satisfied that sufficient grounds for the issue of the warrant exist.

(2) In cases of urgency, the request for the issue of the warrant and the warrant may be communicated even by facsimile:
Provided that, as soon as practicable, the original warrant shall be delivered for record purposes.

(3) Any warrant issued by a Magistrate shall be issued in favour of the Commissioner of Police and may be executed by any police officer.

(4) Whenever a police officer requests the issue of a warrant of arrest or search from a Magistrate in accordance with the provisions of this Code and the Magistrate refuses to issue the warrant the Police may request the issue of the same warrant from a Judge who ordinarily sits in the Criminal Court.


355AI. Except in the case of a warrant transmitted by facsimile, any warrant shall be drawn upon in three signed copies one of which shall be retained by the Magistrate while the others shall be delivered to the police officer who shall retain one copy for his records and shall cause the other one to be served on the person entitled to be served with it:
Provided that where a police officer comes upon a person against whom a warrant of arrest has been issued and, although not in possession of a copy of the warrant, the police officer knows that the warrant has been so issued, the officer shall arrest that person and shall serve him with the copy of the warrant at the first opportunity.


355AJ. (1) Where any person is arrested, whether with or without a warrant, the arresting police officer or his superior shall, as soon as practicable and unless the person arrested has been released within six hours from arrest, inform a Magistrate, giving all details as to time and place where the person is being held.

(2) The Magistrate may order that the person arrested be transferred to another place with immediate effect.

(3) Any person arrested in pursuance of any provision of this Code and who has not been brought before a court within forty-eight hours of his arrest shall be released.


355AK. Any order of a competent authority touching on the rights of the individual arising from the provisions of this sub-title shall be carried out without delay, and for such purpose may be communicated even by facsimile or telephone, under such conditions as to guarantee its authenticity.

BOOK SECOND
LAWS OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I
OF THE AUTHORITIES TO WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS ENTRUSTED

Title I Of the Powers and Duties of the Executive Police in respect of Criminal Prosecutions

Sub-title VIII
DETENTION

355AL. (1) It shall be duty of the custody officer to order the immediate release from custody of any person in police detention in the circumstances mentioned in article 355AJ(3) or where the custody officer becomes aware that the grounds for the detention of that person have ceased to apply and there are no other lawful grounds on which the continued detention of that person could be justified.

(2) Before ordering the release from custody of a person under subarticle (1) the custody officer shall inform the investigating officer and a Magistrate and the final decision shall be taken by the Magistrate.

(3) A person whose release is ordered under the provisions of subarticle (1) shall be released unconditionally unless it appears to the custody officer -
(a) that there is need for further investigation of any matter in connection with which he was detained at any time during the period of his detention; or
(b) that proceedings may be taken against him in respect of such matter,
and if it so appears, he shall be released subject to the conditions, reduced to writing and signed by the person to be released, that he will not attempt or do anything to leave Malta without the authority of the investigating officer under whose authority he was arrested and that he will attend at such police station at such time as the custody officer may appoint and, or that he will attend before the Court of Magistrates at such time and such place as the court may appoint.

(4) Where a custody officer has granted bail to a person subject to a duty not to attempt or do anything to leave Malta without authority or to appear at a police station, the custody officer may give notice in writing to that person that the condition not to attempt or do anything to leave Malta without authority no longer applied or that his attendance at the police station is not required.

(5) Any person who fails to comply with any condition imposed upon him upon his release as provided in subarticle (3) shall be guilty of a contravention.

(6) A police officer may arrest without a warrant any person who, having been conditionally released under subarticle (3) subject to a duty not to attempt or do anything to leave Malta without authority or to attend a police station or subject to a duty to appear before the Court of Magistrates, attempts or does anything to leave Malta without authority or fails to attend at that police station or before the Court of Magistrates at the time appointed for him to do so.

(7) For the purposes of this sub-title a person who returns to a police station to answer to bail or is arrested under subarticle (6) shall be treated as arrested for the offence under subarticle (5) and for the offence in connection with which he was granted bail and the provisions of this article shall apply to such person.

(8) The conditions made under subarticle (3) shall not remain in force for more than three months from the date on which they were imposed unless they are renewed by a Magistrate for further periods of three months each period upon an application by the Police which shall be served for his reply upon the person on whom the conditions were imposed.

(9) At any time during which the conditions made under subarticle (3) are in force the person on whom those conditions were imposed may by an application to be served on the Police for a reply request a Magistrate that those conditions be removed or modified.

(10) The Minister may issue guidelines to be followed by custody officers in the exercise of their discretion to impose conditions under subarticle (3).


355AM. (1) At every designated place of detention the Commissioner shall appoint one or more custody officers not below the rank of sergeant who, in matters of detention, shall comply with any orders of a Magistrate.

(2) Any officer of any rank may perform the functions of a custody officer at a designated place of detention if a custody officer is not readily available to perform them.

(3) Where the custody officer who is called upon to carry out any of his functions with respect to a person in police detention is, at the time when the function falls to be performed, involved in the investigation of an offence for which the person is in police detention such function shall be carried out by another custody officer or, if no such other custody officer is available, by the next most senior police officer who happens to be available at the time.

(4) In this article and elsewhere in this sub-title "designated place of detention" means such place designated by the Minister where a person may be detained for more than six hours.


355AN. The custody officer shall perform such functions as may be assigned to him by this Code or by any other law.


355AO. Where an arrested person is taken to a police station which is not a designated place of detention the functions in relation to him which would otherwise fall to be performed by a custody officer shall be performed:
(a) by an officer not below the rank of sergeant who is not involved in the investigation of an offence for which the arrested person is in detention, if such an officer is readily available; and
(b) if no such officer is readily available, by the officer who took the arrested person to the police station or by the most senior police officer at the police station at the time.


355AP. Where the arresting officer or the custody officer has a reasonable suspicion that the person arrested may have concealed on his person any drug the unlawful possession of which would constitute a criminal offence or any other item which a custody officer is authorised by this Code or by any other law to seize from the possession of an arrested person, the said officer may request a Magistrate to order an intimate search of the person arrested.


355AQ. (1) Upon a request for an order under article 355AP the Magistrate shall appoint an expert to carry out the search under such safeguards as he may consider necessary for the purpose of decency and to report to him on his findings. A copy of the report shall be communicated without delay to the arresting or custody officer as the case may be.

(2) A person shall not be appointed an expert for the purpose of carrying out an intimate search on a person of the opposite sex unless the expert is a medical practitioner and the person to be searched consents thereto in writing.


355AR. Anything found as a result of an intimate search under the foregoing articles may be temporarily retained by the expert and may subsequently be seized by order of the Magistrate, and a receipt therefore shall be given to the detained person. The Magistrate may authorise the delivery against receipt of anything so seized to the police officer investigating the person intimately searched.

BOOK SECOND
LAWS OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I
OF THE AUTHORITIES TO WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS ENTRUSTED

Title II Of the Court of Magistrates

GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE COURT OF MAGISTRATES WHETHER AS COURT OF CRIMINAL JUDICATURE OR AS COURT OF CRIMINAL INQUIRY

412A. (1) When the person charged or accused brought before the Court of Magistrates, whether as a court of criminal judicature or as a court of criminal inquiry, is not in custody the Police may thereupon or at any stage of the proceedings thereafter request the court to impose conditions upon the person charged or accused in order to ensure the appearance of that person at the proceedings on the appointed time and place or to otherwise ensure that that person will not in any way unlawfully interfere in the correct administration of justice in those proceedings.

(2) The court may require the giving of sufficient security by the person charged or accused by the mere recognizance of the same person charged or accused in order to ensure that he abides by the conditions imposed upon him by the court and the provisions of articles 576 and 584, shall apply to the security given under this subarticle.

(3) The sum given by way of security shall be forfeited to the Government of Malta and a warrant of arrest shall be issued against the person charged or accused where that person fails to observe any of the conditions imposed by the court in pursuance of the provisions of this article and in any of the other circumstances mentioned in article 579 provided that the provisions of this subarticle shall not apply where the court considers that the infringement of the condition imposed by the court is not of serious consequence.

BOOK SECOND
LAWS OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I
OF THE AUTHORITIES TO WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IS ENTRUSTED

Title IV Of the Criminal Court

443. (1) On the day and at the time appointed for the hearing of the cause or of any question incidental thereto, the accused shall be put, without any restraint, in the place appointed for the purpose.

(2) If the accused is not in custody, he shall be required to appear by means of a summons, and, in case of his non-appearance, an order shall be made for his arrest; if he is in custody, he shall be brought to the said place in such manner as may be necessary in order to prevent his escape.

(3) If the accused attempts acts of violence, all necessary measures shall be taken to prevent such acts.