Internet killed law reprinting

The House Select Committee on the Re-Codification and Consolidation of Laws yesterday discussed a report drawn up by University lecturer Kevin Aquilina classifying Maltese laws.

Prof. Aquilina, head of the Department of Public Law at the University, said there were laws that needed to be erased, updated and also placed in the section that was relevant to what they were dealing with.

At present, there were a number of laws that were not even relevant, such as the Carrier Pigeon Ordinance, committee chairman Franco Debono said.

The committee had been dealing with the aspect of administrative law and the report drawn up by Prof. Aquilina dealt mainly with that issue.

He looked at those laws that should be included in a code of administrative law, laws that are border line in nature, those which should be excluded completely and others that could be repealed.

He also mentioned legal provisions that could be consolidated in another law without the need of codification.

Referring to one law in particular, the Reprinting Act (Chapter 185), which allows the reprinting of laws from time to time, Prof. Aquilina said the law had been made redundant because of the internet. There was no longer the need to reprint anymore because everything was on the Justice Ministry website, he said.

The committee, which includes MPs Francis Zammit Dimech and Josè Herrera, will be meeting again in two weeks' time.