             IMPORTED STORE CATTLE (WEIGHING)          g CAP. 143.          1
CHAPTER 143
IMPORTED STORE CATTLE (WEIGHING) ACT 
To make provision for establishing the fair weight of store cattle on
importation.
(22nd July, 1955) *
Enacted by ACT XXIII of 1955, as amended by Act XIII of 1983.
Short title.
(Weighing) Act.
Interpretation.
"importer" in respect of any store cattle imported into Malta,
means the person who on the date of importation is the holder of a
licence from the Director of Agriculture authorising him to import
the cattle;
"Malta" has the same meaning as is assigned to it by section 124
of the Constitution of Malta;
"person" includes any partnership, firm, company, or other
association of persons;
"store cattle" means any animal of the bovine genus intended for
slaughtering whether at or about the time of importation or after a
period of fattening.
Store cattle.
cattle unless the importer thereof proves the contrary to the
satisfaction of the Director of Agriculture.
Sale of store cattle.
disposed of except on a basis of the live weight thereof.
(2) No imported store cattle shall be weighed for purposes of
assessing import duty on same or officially for any other purpose
unless the animal or animals has or have been deprived of all food
and liquid for a continuous period of not less than twenty-four
hours following disembarkation, provided that the weighing shall
be effected as soon as may be after the expiration of the said
twenty-four hours.
Penalties. 
Amended by: 
XIII. 1983.5; 
VIII. 1990.3.
5. Any infringement of the provisions of section 4 shall
constitute an offence punishable on conviction by a Court of
Magistrates as follows hereunder:
( a ) in respect of a first offence against the provisions of
section 4 by a fine ( multa ) of from twenty five liri to
fifty liri;
( b ) in respect of a second offence against the said
provisions by a fine ( multa ) of from fifty liri to one
hundred liri; 
* See  Government Notice No. 378 of 25th July, 1955.
  2        CAP. 143. h        IMPORTED STORE CATTLE (WEIGHING)
( c ) in respect of a third or subsequent offence against the
said provisions, to imprisonment for from one to three
months, and to disqualification from being an importer
of cattle for six months from date of conviction,
without prejudice to any confirmed order authorised
under a permit issued previously to that date, in which
case, however, the said disqualification shall be
effective in respect of any other order as from the date
of conviction until the end of six months reckoned
from the date of arrival in Malta of the consignment
made as a result of that confirmed order or of the last
of such orders if more than one.
Liability. 6. For the purposes of this Act - 
Cap 9. ( a ) the provision contained in section 24 of the Criminal
Code shall apply; and
( b ) where a person convicted of an offence against any of
the provisions of this Act forms part of an association
of persons, every person who, at the time of the
commission of the offence was a director or officer of
that association shall be deemed to be guilty of that
offence unless he proves that the offence was
committed without his knowledge or that he exercised
all due diligence to prevent the commission of the
offence.
