Skip to main content
All Posts By

Christine Calleja

MFSA Issues Circular on Proposed Changes to the Companies Act (Cell Companies Carrying on Business of Insurance) Regulations
Employment and Industrial RelationsLitigation & Dispute Resolution

Court of Appeal Rejects Employee’s Claim of Unfair Dismissal

On the 15th of September 2023, the Court of Appeal (Inferior Jurisdiction) (Appeal Number: 155/2022 LM) reversed the Industrial Tribunal’s decision that had previously considered that the plaintiff had been unfairly dismissed from his employment with a bank. The Court was tasked with deciding on the employee’s allegations during proceedings which primarily related to claiming discriminatory treatment and unfair dismissal. The employee had embarked on a year-long career break during his employment with the bank after having first obtained permission from management in compliance with the Collective Agreement then in place. The bone of contention revolved around the way in…
Christine Calleja
26th September 2023
Employment and Industrial RelationsLitigation & Dispute Resolution

Ensuring Equality and Diversity in the Workplace

The European region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe)’s yearly benchmarking instrument, the Rainbow Map and Index, ranks 49 European countries with respect to the level of protection afforded to LGBTIQ+ individuals from a legal and policy perspective. Malta, the host for EuroPride 2023, has secured the highest ranking on the Rainbow Europe Map for 8 consecutive years. Despite such a high ranking, it is important to note that from a legal standpoint, LGBTIQ+ individuals were not always afforded the highest level of protection against discrimination. In fact, prior to 2014, the supreme law of…
Christine Calleja
7th September 2023
Litigation & Dispute Resolution

The Representative Actions Act,
a Brief Overview

The Maltese law transposing European Union Directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers, Directive (EU) 2020/1828 of the 25th of November 2020, came into force by means of Act XVII of 2023 on the 25th of June 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the “Representative Actions Act” or the “Act”).  This Directive is intended to serve as a model for representative actions on behalf of European consumers in situations wherein their interests are collectively harmed. In Malta, although class actions are already provided for in terms of the Collective Proceedings Act (Chapter 520 of the…
Christine Calleja
16th August 2023
MFSA Issues Circular on Proposed Changes to the Companies Act (Cell Companies Carrying on Business of Insurance) Regulations
Employment and Industrial Relations

Industrial Tribunal Orders Airmalta plc to Pay Ex-Employee €20,000 in a Case of Unfair Dismissal

In the case 3389/MF, the applicant argued that his redundancy from Airmalta plc was not genuine and consequently, that he should be compensated for unfair dismissal. On the other hand, Airmalta claimed that the marketing business had changed throughout the years and through a restructuring process, it had been decided that the role of marketing manager was no longer needed. In its summary of the case, the Tribunal noted that marketing work had been outsourced to an ex-employee and, that the work carried out was similar in nature to the work which the applicant used to carry out. The Tribunal…
Christine Calleja
10th July 2023
Civil Court (Commercial Section) on whether a #retrial of #liquidationproceedings is possible
Employment and Industrial Relations

Industrial Tribunal Decision on Constructive Dismissal and Discrimination

In Industrial Tribunal case number 3642/CCG, the applicant claimed that he had been subjected to discrimination, lack of equal pay, a breach of the grievance procedure under the collective agreement, lack of payment of a performance bonus and constructive dismissal. Firstly considering discrimination, the applicant argued that he was not allowed to avail himself of a career break to work with a company operating in the financial services industry. The reason for this was that there was a specific exclusion in the same collective agreement. The Tribunal stated that such a career break was within the absolute discretion of the…
Christine Calleja
5th July 2023
Employment and Industrial Relations

Industrial Tribunal Finds in Favour of Employee in an Unfair Dismissal Case

In the Industrial Tribunal case with number 3945/CC, the applicant, a Chief Operating Officer and Director, engaged with Amicorp Fund Services Malta Ltd, was dismissed by means of a letter of termination due to the fact that, according to the defendant company, he was not properly performing his functions. The Tribunal commented that the case was a particular one since it dealt with senior management, in which cases usually an amicable termination is arrived at. The Tribunal also noted that in the termination letter, no reason for termination had been indicated. Moreover, it had not been proven that prior to…
Christine Calleja
17th May 2023