LOAD LINE CONVENTION _g S.L.234.29 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 234.29
MERCHANT SHIPPING (LOAD LINE 
CONVENTION) RULES
10th January, 2003
LEGAL NOTICE 21 of 2003.
Citation.
Line Convention) Rules.
Interpretation.
Cap. 234.
''Load Line Convention'' means the International Convention on
Load Lines signed in London on 5th April, 1966, including any
amendment or Protocol related thereto as may from time to time be
ratified, acceded to or accepted by the Government of Malta and
other instruments, standards and specifications of a mandatory
nature related thereto adopted or developed by the International
Maritime Organisation or in terms of regulation 3(2)( a ) hereof.
(2) Unless otherwise defined in these rules or unless the
context otherwise requires, words and expressions used in these
rules shall have the same meaning assigned to them in the Load
Line Convention.
(3) The term ''Administration'' as used in the Load Line
Convention shall, for the purposes of these rules, mean the
Registrar-General.
Load Line 
Convention given 
force of law in 
Malta.
3. (1) The Load Line Convention as may from time to time be
in force, shall, unless otherwise provided in these rules and
notwithstanding the provision of any other law, form part of and be
enforceable as part of the Law of Malta and shall apply to all
Maltese ships and to all other ships while they are in Maltese
waters as determined by the said Convention.
(2) The Registrar-General may either on a case by case basis or
through the issue of Merchant Shipping Notices -
( a ) determine, lay down, prescribe, set or specify what
may be required to be determined, laid down,
prescribed, set or specified by these rules or by the
Load Line Convention, or expound on the
requirements of these rules or of such Convention or
clarify their applicability or interpretation; and
( b ) extend any of the provisions of the Load Line
Convention to other classes of Maltese ships or, to
other classes of ships when they are in Maltese waters;
and in so doing, and without prejudice to the generality of the
foregoing, the Registrar-General shall be guided by the circulars,
clarifications, codes, decisions, directives, guidelines, instruments,
interpretations, manuals, notices, publications, recommendations,
2 _g S.L.234.29 LOAD LINE CONVENTION
regulations, resolutions, rules or any other similar medium of the
International Maritime Organisation or any other body or
organisation with an appropriate knowledge or competence on the
subject matter.
(3) The appropriate authority for the purposes of issuing
certificates in terms of the Load Line Convention shall be the
Registrar-General or an organisation or body authorised in terms of
article 367 of the Act or an official surveyor of ships appointed in
terms of that article, duly authorised by the Registrar-General who
shall, subject to the provisions of these rules and such Convention,
determine the conditions of issue and validity of such certificates.
Duty to ensure 
compliance.
4. It shall be the duty of the owner of the company which has
assumed the operation of the ship and of the master to ensure that
the ship is in compliance with the provisions of these rules and the
applicable requirements of the Load Line Convention and such
person, if in fault, shall be liable to the penalties provided for in the
Act, and if no such penalty is provided, such person shall for each
offence be liable to a fine ( multa ) not exceeding 500 units.
Provisions of rules 
and regulations 
inconsistent with 
Load Line 
Convention.
5. Save as provided for in these rules where any provisions of
any rules and regulations made under the Act are inconsistent with
the provisions of the Load Line Convention, the provisions of that
Convention shall, unless specifically provided for in such rules or
regulations, apply.
