UN'TED f{AT'ONS Distr , GE[NERAL GUIERAT A/51+01/Add.rr A S S E h/I B LY , a{.ril 1961 ORIGIITAL: E{GLISH

Eiahteenth EesElon

INFOFMATTON 5'ROM NON-SEII'-GO1EM$ffG TERRTTORTES

PO],ITICAL AND CONSTTIUTTONAL INFOFMATjLON ON AT'BICAN AND A}JACH{T 1ERRITORTES T'I{DER UNIID I{INGDOI'T ADI4INISTFATION Note by the Secretary-GeneraL

MAL?A

In accordance wlth the etatement of t'h.e Secretary of State for tr'oreign Affairs of the United Kingdon of Great Sritaln and Northern lreland. on 2J Septemlrer L96L, the Goverrunent of the United Kingdon has trEnsnltted to the Secretary-General- the folloving polittcaL and constltaltional inforration on the

Teritory of " ,rhi A .r r'1r^r.mA+..t ^h t''hlch vas recelved on 25 yfF,rclt L96t , i6 herel'rith subn:itted to the General ABse@b]y at lts elghteenth sesElon.='

lI fn accorda.nce wlth General- As senbly vesolution 1?OO (Xm) of 19 Decenber 196! t this information ls also subrcitted to the Conrhl ttee on Infornatlon from Non-Self -Goveming Territories . 6s-ot\t\ A/5]+ollAdd.11 .

MA],[A

PO?UIATION l. f?re population of Malta is homogeneous and et the cen6us taken ln 1957 va6 calcuLated al ,]9-620 persons. An estimate tnade in December 1962 puts the populatton at approxi.:nately J2Br5O0 persons, the large naJority of whom are indigenous to the lsland. Wlth azr &verage de:le1ty of nearly 2r70O per6onF to the squave nlle, and a gubstantlal net lncrease, Malta is one of the most densely polulated Terrltories ln the lrorld.

RECTNT EISTOtr

2. tr1e Constitutlon of 191+? gave l,Ialta fu1I lnterna]. sel-f-govemment lrlth a popularly elected leglslatlve Asser0bl,y, 3. fn Jr:ne and July 1955, talks were held 1n London wlth xepresentatives of both parties represented 1n the Mal-tese leglslature. (t" Malta labour Perby then held 2J seats, aod the Natlonalist Party 1? seats. ) lfie Nationalist Party favoured eventual ful-l autonoqf for l{a].ta, vhil-e the Iobour Party denanded elther self-detevmination a:rd the negotlatlon of a twenty-year treaty of frlendshlp, regulatlng relations vith the Unlted Kingdom, or a tlrenty-year plan to turn l4al-ta lnto an iategral part of the United Klngdon r,rlth repreBentatlvee at Westninister and safeguards for the Boman Catholic o:urch ln l4alta. Soth parties demanded very substantial financial assistEnce , if. The outcome of the constitutional talk6 }IaB the eonvenlng of a Rowd Table Conference, repreoenting al-l pol-ltlcal partles at Westnlnster, to conslder constltutlonal questions arising out of the tr4altese Prlme Minlsterrs protr)oEals for integra,tion, !h.e Conference I e report concluded that the unusuai cl-rcurrcterces entitled the people of llalta to a special road to polltl cal- equal-lty, 'vrhtch shou.l-d be by representatlon Ln the Unlted K1ngdonc Parl-ia,neat if they Eo w16hed. 5. The pro?o sed. lntegratlon vas put before the l,laltese people In a referendum in Febmery p!6, vhen about ?5 per cent of tho ee who voted r,u'ere in favour. Negotlatlons vith the Srltish Government fo].lowed to vork out practlcal- means of lmp].ementlng the proposalE, but then :.an lnto difficultles ard final-ly broke dovn 1n March 1958, the Briti6b Goverrrment regarding the Maltese denends ln A/5401/Add.11 E:glish Page J certern respects, especially econonlc, as excessive, and the Maltese c,overnment: refnslng to recoemend iategratlon to the l4altese people on the terus proposed by Iler MaJesWr 6 Goverrua€nt. 6. The breakdorqn of the integratlon talko and the subsequent reslgnation of the Mal-tese Labour Govensment 1n Ap"1l lpl8 were forloved by cl',:it dlsturbances and a Etrlke necessitatlng the declaratlon of a state of energency. Efforts to secure a return to norrlal goverrment, includlng the hol_dlng of an aLl_?arty conf,erence ln london durlng Nove&ber and Decs.ber l-958, proved fru1t1es6 and., early ln !)J), the f947 Constitutlon was revoked. and replaced by interln g,rrangenent I . 7. the lnterim congtltution placed the adnlnistrati.on 1n the hand.s of a cove"oor appolnted by the Britlsh covernment. In the fornatlon of poli cy and in the exerclEe of the por'fers conferred. upon hLm he was requlred, Eave wlth certain speclfied exceBtlonB, to consul-t the s

PRffiU{T CONSTS TUTION

9. It wae always the lntentlon of Her MaJestyrs Gciven::nent that the 1!!p constitution shoutd be an lnterin arvangement only and that representatlve goverIlment Bhould be restored eB BooD as practicable. After v-lsitB to Malta by the BrltlEh Secretary of State and llinlster of State for the Colonles, a congtitutlonar comrlsslon'ms eppolnted in 1960 under the cheimanship of sir lliLary 31ood. The comieer.on 'eras req[ested to forroul.ate deta ed. constlttrtLonal proposals, after due consultation vith repreBentatives of the Martese people and locaL lnterests, beari-ng in nlnd the British Government r s lntentlon that the },traltese peopre shouJ-d be g1ven the vldest neasuxe of sel-f- government conslstent wlth the Br1t16h covelnment t s reslonsiblljw for defence end forelgn affairs and their und.erta,hlngs 1n res?ect of tbe Frbu.c Sewice, the pol-ice and hum:' rlghts generally. lfrre comnlseion reported 1n March 196r and the Brltish Goverrno.ent accepted l-te recon@endatlons, A/540rlAdd.u &1gl-1sh yase 4 lo. lhe Malta ( Constitution ) Order in Ccuncil, Ij5L, wae then prorulgated and the nev Constitution caloe i,nto force on 5 \riF;T.ljl L962, fhe nev Canstitutlon prorrides for an elected }4aJ.tese legislatlve Assenbl-y of fifty members and confers inte"nal Eelf-government, TIle hunan rlghts provisions are based. on the principles l-al.d dovn in the UnLversal Declaration of Ji.r.uan ILIghte and the Elrropean convention for the Protectlon of ]tuman n:Lghts and tr\mdamental- Freedons. Under the Constitutlon Maltese rn-inisters are reBponsible for alf aspects of internal af,fairs. In addlti.on, the Me]-te6e Government 16 glven concurrent !o.9iers in the flelds of foreign affalrs (by speciflc delegation) and in natters of def ence. The Sritish responslbillties for these &attea6 ln Malta are ln the handE of the Unlted Kingdom Comlssloner, and there ls a ConBu1tative Council of vhi ch the Governor is chalrnan, and havlng equal Maltese and United Kingdom representation. me Consul-tatlve Cor:ncil ls lntended to ensure that decisLons in respect of d.efence and fo"eign affairs are based. on adequate infornation sJ]d diFcusslon, vlth a viev to preventing dlsagreements from arising and to faciLltating settlement. 11. fhe lslahds are nolr ]caown as the State of Mafta. L2. Elections for the legislatlve Asoerobl-y fomed under the nen Constitutlon took place from L7 to L9 February 1962 before the Constitution cane into force. They vere held. on a basis of univer€,aL adutt suffrage, lrlth a syetem of proportional representatlon, each voter havl-ng a single traneferable vote, nte qualiflcationE for election to @embership of the Leglslative Assenbly and the quallfications to vote are l-aid dovn in the Constitution. fhere are ten el-ectoral_ divis-J.ons, lncludlrrg the island of , each returning five nenbers. In a loll of over 90 per ceht of those qualified to vote and after a keenfy contested eLection, the Nationallst Party secured a r0ajorlty of the seats. The preFent repreEentation of the ?arties in the Assenbly is as fo]lovs: Seats

ta \ -Leaoer, lJr. ul-ofgao -Borg ullv1erj 26 Mnl ta Te}lnrr1. Po rl'rr ( Leader, I4r. Don lllntoff) IO C?lristla;n Workers' ParLy )+ Democratlc Nationa].l-stc ?arty Progressive Con6titutional Party 1 ', L A/r\ol/Add..rL I ftrglish Page J

Lj . Follovlng the electlons, Dr. Borg O1irrl-er accepted. offlce as Prime Mtnlster and \,ras srlrorn in on J l'{arch L962, t]ne ner+ Constltutlon belng brought into force on the 6ane day. IIe ha6 6ince announced. the appolntment of seven minlsters to his Cablnet. [tris 1e now nade up aB fo]-lows I Dr, Giovalrni F€llce . . . . I'tlnister of Indu6trial Developnxent and Touxism Dr. AntoBLo Saris . ltlnister of Education Dr. Carmelo Caruana Minister of Agricufture Dr, Tounaso Ca"uana Demaj o l41ni ster of Justlce DT. Jo seph Spiterl . . Minister of Iforks and Housing Dr. Al-e:

ur e5ar+4@uru! o 16" At the concluslon of the talk6, the ?rlne Minister of ivlalta forna]-ly requested. Mal-tats lndepehdence rdthln the Connonvealt! and that a treetlng should. be held between the Mal-tese End Bnitish Govenu..ents to discuss thi,s. Rer Me,iesty's A/540r/Add.t]. Brg116h Page 6

Govermuent ag"eed that a meetlng Ehould be arrenged. aB soon as practicable. fnfonnal talks betlreen the Pyfuae l4l.ntster of l4alta and the Secretary of State for the Col-onleB'were held Ln Decenber 1962, and agreement vas reached on the steps necessary to enable an independence conference to be held tu! L96t.

. IOIJTITCAL PAMIES NatlonaLlst ParW

f?. frris party ca&.e lnto existence tovards tbe end of the nineteenth century. tr?oro t?ie outset the parffts aLm has beea seJ-f-govemment for lnlal-ta and the presezvatlon of l,4al-tats cuLtural tradltlons and l€,tln clv;iltzatlon. fts imedlate pollcy 16 dlrected toward s ftrJ-l lndependence wlthfu the Connonrnealth. nre party ha6 been l-ed by the present Prlne Mlnlster, DT, G. Borg 011vler, 61nce Decenber 1950. l{a}te Labour Farty 18, tre l{a1ta Iabour Paxty vas 1n exlstence prlor to the laBt lrar. Ihe party has al'ways had as a naJor lteo of Lts lnternal loficy the socj.al and econoEl-c bette:msrt of the l{alteee 'workers, a,nd a number of measures tolrards this end 'irere jntroduced durlng L955-L958 when the party was in Office. At one stage the parby advocated a pollcy of elther lndependeoce or the lntegratlon of l4el-ta,irtttr the tlnited Klngdom. Tntegratlon was dropped from the Pa:.Wr E poJ.i cy 1n f95B and it bow seelis fu inaependence for Malta. [he parbtrr hae been 1ed by I'lr. l{intoff slnce ite reconstltutlon 1n 1949. Progresslve Constltutional Party 19. Ttrls pa:"by has as j.ts aln the attalnment of a Royal whlch enwisages co4tr)lete lnternaL seJf-government nith other natters becoming a joint Sritish^vlaLteBe respon6ib11lty. Democratlc Natlonal ParW

20. frris lexty alns at solidarlty with the Christian Denocratic Movement in E\rrope. It advocates lndepeEdence t'lthln the Comoff'realth as an ul-tlaate eiu but onfy afte? the econoqy haB first been lut on a sourd footing. [!:e Parby has been Led since 1ts fornatlon by Dr. H. Ganado. A/540r/Add.r-r -unEl.tsn page ?

Chrletian Workerg Party 21. flxe party vas fonr,ed ln Niarch L96l by a break-artay grorp from the l{atta le,bour Farby, It has aE lte basic alms the econorLlc securJ.ty aod soclal betterment of the Mal-teEe people ai a whol-e " It regards lndependence ae the ul-tlroate aim but ltg Lrmredlate alm is to secure for l4al-ta the gteatest measure of polltlcel freedom conEisteat nlth Maltats econordc poFsibilities. [he party 'rras fomed by and is ]-ed by !IT. 3.. 3e1Legrln1.

JIJDICIAF$ 22. fhere are four superlor courbs'Ln la1ta, na,!xel"y, the Ctvl1 Court I the Cormerclal Court, the Crtnl na]- Courb and the Court of Ap!eal-. Bte Eupellor courtF and naglstrateg I courts are exclqstvely vested vlth civll- and crimlnal- JullsdlctLon, excelt for apleal- to the Prlvy Councll 1n Iondon as alLowed by J.ar+ ln certaja casee. There are e1€ht Judges, lncludlng the Chlef Justlce, vho is aLso PresLdent of the Court of A1peel-. 21 , fre etght lvtraglstrates elt ln the lnferlor cou.rtB, vhlch are the Court of Maglstrates of Judlclal- Pol-lce for the Islaad of lntraltar and the Court of i Ir4agietretes of Judlcla1 Pol-lce for tlte ielards of Gozo and Coulno. ) I Judge E

Orlef Justice, Plof. Sir Anthooy l,lamo lvlr. Justlce A.J. trficntana"o Gauci lvlr. Justlce W. Hardlng Mr. Justlce T. Goude} lvlr. Justlce A.V. CarnJ Llerl Ivlr. Justice J. C€,ruana Co]-omlo I{r. Justlce J. Floree Ivlr. Justice J.H. Xrereb

. lhg Couxt of Appeal Ctxlef Ju6t1ce, Prof. Slr Anthony J. I&no l'{r. Juetiee A.J. Montanaro Gaucl, SeoLor Judge lfu, firEtlce W, Earding vho p"esldeB over the Courb of Appeal for hearlng appeals from declslcns of the Clvll Court of lfagi.stratee for lvlol-ta A/)401/Add. r-L ExgIi6h rage o

The Crindnal- Court

Chief Ju6tice, Prof, Sir -Aathony Marno l4r" Justice A.J. I4cntanaro cauci lrlr. Justlce !i. Hardlng I:ese three Judges preoide over Eer l'{ajesty's Crindnal Court for hea.rinp trials on lndictnents \chenever that court conslsts of three judges. Mr. Justlce llarding preeldes over the Crlmina]. Couxt as a Court of Appellate ,furlsdlction to hear appeals fron decisions of the crinlnal courts of &aglstrates. Ivlr. Justice J. Ffores presldes over the Crlldnal Courl vb.enever this court conslsts of one judge stttlng rrlth a jury,

Other Courts

I4r. Justice Gouder slis 1n the Conmerclal Court. ltlr. Justlce A.V, Camli-l-erl, !lr. Jugtlce Calruena Coloubo, I'{r. Justlce Xu.ereb ard l,lr. Justice Flores sit separatefy ln the First i{aIl of the CLvll Oourt. I'fr. Justlce A"V, Montanaro Gaucl presides over the Second HalJ- of the Clv11 Cou.rt " l4r " Justlce J. Xuereb presldes over the Arbitration Trlbr:::al.

Magl-strates

A.P. Gauci MaLstre V, Refal-o J,M. Fonqosa G.F. Gouder ,f. Salomone Reynau.d G"O. Refalo J. Soler .f. Debono F. Mizzl d+" tre jufues and magistrates are all of local orlgln. J+l )+uL/ r.Clcl.lL Engllsh Page 9

LOCAL GOVERNMu\;II 25' There le no 1ocal govertutent in the island of Malta itself, and at the Bre6ent tlme al]. natters come und.er the direct control of the centrel 0overrment. In t'he sigter Lsland of Gozo, however, there 1E a 0ozo Clvll- Councll-, whlch ls 14ter ape charged vith responslbiJaty for the upkeep and malntenance of gtreets, teneoaents, bulLdlngs, slte6, etc., ln Gozo belonglng to the Governnen! the Gozo libraly and mr.seum, dlst"lct dlspeooaries; ead playgrounds. [he Councll a]-so advlses on planning schemes for Gozo. In shorb, a large number of the flmctions of the central Goverrment have been deLegated to ttrre Civic Councll. To enable the Council to exerclse 1t6 lfunctions, the Governrnent has allocated certeln funds to 1t. fhe Government has del-egated to the Councll control and zupervl-61on af work to be carried. out in Gozo financed fromf:Unds nade availabl-e under the Malta Govemment !:Lve-Year Developrent PLan. 26. The merobers of the Council are el-ected by pog:lar vote, exerclsed under the establlsbed l'4altese electoral nachlnery. ElectLonB are heLd for each of the fourteen dlstrlct cormittees rrho in tr:rn each elect one member to Bit on the

Civic Council " 27, lre Councll hae 1ts o\rxl Etaff second.ed. by the Government and paid for out of CounciL fund.6. Bre chief adninlstratlve offlcer is the Secretaty-Treasurer rtro Is for the general. admLnlstration, 1nc1ud1ng fi.nance, of the "esponsible Council I s office and the co-o"dlnatton of the'vrork of t&e several departments of the Cor:ncil. the fu].L Council meets at l-east once a rnonth. Its comd-ttees for finance, health, roads afi.d. general pur1toses rc.eet aB the occaslcn requlre6. [he President le advised by an Adyisory 3oard, conprislng the chairoen of colmiiitees and the Secretary-Treasurer, on rnatters of pol-lcy. Ttre ultlnate ain is that the Gozo CivlL Councllte functLone shouJ.d approxinate to those of a local governoent authorlty in the United Klngdom"