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Litigation & Dispute Resolution

View from Valletta by Ian Busuttil
Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Decision on the Quantum of Rent Payable

In a judgment decided on the 26th of June 2024 in the names Marcus Scicluna Marshall et vs Michael Borg Cardona, the Court of Appeal in its Inferior Jurisdiction confirmed that no appeal can be filed from the rate established by the Rent Regulation Board to increase the rent for leases predating the year 1995. Act XXIV of 2021, which introduced amendments to the laws on protected residential leases, gave the right to lessors who are bound by lease agreements with respect to dwelling houses predating 1st June 1995 to request an increase in the rent payable that is calculated…
Louise Sant Fournier and Stephen Muscat
19th July 2024
Mamo TCV Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Employment and Industrial RelationsLitigation & Dispute Resolution

Employer Liability Leads to Over €200,000 in Damages

In a landmark judgment delivered on the 14th of March 2024 in the names Maria Matruscelli vs Palumbo Malta Shipyards Limited et (case numbered 518/19TA), the First Hall of the Civil Court awarded €208,871 in compensation to the plaintiff. The case revolved around the death of Aniello Fariello who lost his life on the 18th of January 2016 while performing his duties on board the vessel MV Galaxy, which vessel was docked at the shipyard belonging to Palumbo Shipyards Limited (hereinafter referred to as “Palumbo”). During the process of mooring the vessel, a reel through which one of the ropes…
Luigi Gulia and Frank B. Testa
8th April 2024
Corporate and M&ALitigation & Dispute Resolution

Commercial Court’s Landmark Decision: Redefining Impracticability in Corporate Governance

In the case 44/2023/ISB delivered on 6th October 2023, the applicant, a majority shareholder in a company requested the Civil Court (Commercial Section) to fix a date for an extraordinary general meeting of the company under Art 132(1) of the Companies Act in an attempt to remove two directors from the Board of Directors without adequately proposing replacements. Such a move could push the company into a precarious state of regulatory non-compliance, endangering its very existence as it may lose its operational license. These consequences also undermine the minority shareholder’s decade long commitment which contributed to the company’s consistent profitability,…
Kristen Camilleri and Jonathan Abela Fiorentino
11th October 2023
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 for 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…
Klara Cachia and Christine Calleja
26th September 2023
Insurance & ReinsuranceLitigation & Dispute Resolution

The Distribution of the Life Insurance Proceeds Between Ex-Spouses

The First Hall, Civil Court delivered a judgement on the 13th July 2023 (Rikors Nru: 749/2020FDP) about the manner in which the maturity proceeds of a life policy with profits were to be distributed by the defendant insurer, Eagle Star (Malta) Limited, between the plaintiff and the other defendant (the latter two, collectively referred to as “the ex-spouses”). The life policy was issued in the name and on the life of the plaintiff while said plaintiff was married to the other defendant and their matrimonial regime was regulated by the community of acquests. Before the life policy had matured, the…
Veronica Grixti
6th September 2023