'Enforcement of national penalties - imprisonment' in document 'Malta - Criminal Code'

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RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION

BOOK FIRST PENAL LAWS

PART I
OF PUNISHMENTS AND GENERAL RULES FOR THEIR APPLICATION, OF THE WILL AND AGE OF
THE OFFENDER, OF ATTEMPTED OFFENCE, OF ACCOMPLICES AND OF RECIDIVISTS

Title I
OF PUNISHMENTS AND GENERAL RULES FOR THEIR APPLICATION

Sub-title I
OF PUNISHMENTS TO WHICH OFFENCES ARE SUBJECT

8. Imprisonment

(1) Persons sentenced to imprisonment shall be confined in
the prison or in that part of the prison appointed for persons sentenced to that punishment, and they shall be subject to the restrictions prescribed in the prison regulations lawfully made.

(2) The duration of the punishment of imprisonment is established by law in each particular case.


9. Solitary confinement

(1) The punishment of solitary confinement is carried into effect by keeping the person sentenced to imprisonment, during one or more terms in the course of any such punishment, continuously shut up in the appointed place within the prison, without permitting any other person, not employed on duty nor specially authorized by the Minister responsible for the prisons, to have access to him.

(2) No term of solitary confinement shall exceed ten continuous days.

(3) More terms of solitary confinement may only be applied with an interval of two months between one term and another.

(4) Nevertheless, solitary confinement may be applied during those intervals in case of any infringement of the prison regulations, or for any other offence committed during the said intervals, provided that the terms be of short duration and that they shall not together exceed fifteen days in any one interval.

(5) Where the law prescribes the punishment of solitary confinement and does not specify the particular number of terms, it shall not be lawful to inflict more than twelve terms of solitary confinement.

(6) The punishment of solitary confinement is applied in the cases prescribed by law.

(7) Before awarding the punishment of solitary confinement the court shall satisfy itself, if necessary by medical evidence, which may include a medical examination of the person convicted, that the person convicted is fit to undergo the said punishment.

(8) Where, in the course of the execution of the punishment of solitary confinement, the medical officer of the prison certifies in writing that the prisoner is no longer fit to undergo such punishment, the execution of that punishment shall be suspended until such time as the prisoner is again certified to be medically fit to undergo such punishment.