CIVIL COURTS 
(ESTABLISHMENT OF SECTIONS) ġ S.L.12.19 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 12.19
CIVIL COURTS (ESTABLISHMENT OF SECTIONS) 
ORDER
16th December, 2003
LEGAL NOTICE 396 of 2003, as amended by Legal Notice 8 of 2004.
Citation. 
Sections) Order.
Civil Court to have 
three Sections.
2. There shall be three sections in the Civil Court to which
shall be assigned, as provided by this Order, the category of cases,
hitherto falling within the jurisdiction of the Civil Court (First
Hall) and the Civil Court (Second Hall), or as may be assigned to
the Civil Court by any law.
Designation of 
Sections.
Amended by:
L.N. 8 of 2004.
3. The sections of the Civil Court shall be the Family Section,
the Voluntary Jurisdiction Section and a general jurisdiction
section to be styled the First Hall of the Civil Court.
Assignment of 
cases of the Civil 
Court (Family 
Section).
4. To the Civil Court (Family Section) shall be assigned those
cases falling within the competence of the Civil Court and which
relate to matters regulated by:
Cap 16.
Cap 48.
Ordinance;
( c ) the Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement)
Act;
Cap 255.
Cap 410.
Assignment of 
cases to the Civil 
Court (Voluntary 
Jurisdiction 
Section).
Cap. 16.
5. To the Civil Court (Voluntary Jurisdiction Section) shall
be assigned applications falling within the Competence of the Civil
Court and which relate to matters regulated by:
( a ) Titles III, V, VI and VII of Book First of the Civil
Code; and
Cap. 12.
and Civil Procedure.
Assignment of 
cases to the First 
Hall of the Civil 
Court.
Amended by:
L.N. 8 of 2004.
6. To the First Hall of the Civil Court shall be assigned all
cases within the competence of the Civil Court and not assigned to
the Family Section or the Voluntary Jurisdiction Section.
Registrar to assign 
cases.
7. Subject to any rules of court or to any regulation, cases
shall be assigned to the different sections of the Civil Court by the
Registrar in accordance with the category to which the case refers.
Chief Justice to 
determine Section 
in particular cases.
8. Where any dispute arises as to whether a case should be
assigned to one section or another of the Civil Court, or where a
2 ġ S.L.12.19
CIVIL COURTS 
(ESTABLISHMENT OF SECTIONS)
case involves more than one category falling to be assigned to
different sections of the Civil Court, the matter shall be referred to
the Chief Justice who shall,  in camera , determine the section to
which the case shall be assigned. The determination by the Chief
Justice shall be registered in the records of the case and shall be
final.
Court of 
Magistrates (Gozo) 
in its Superior 
Jurisdiction.
Cap 12.
9. Without prejudice to the provisions of article 54 of the
Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure there shall be in the
Court of Magistrates (Gozo), in its Superior Jurisdiction, two
Sections to be styled respectively ''The Family Section'' and ''The
General Jurisdiction Section''. To the Family Section shall be
assigned cases falling within the competence of that Court in its
Superior Jurisdiction and which are regulated by the provisions
referred to in article 4( a ) to ( e ) of this Order, and to the General
Jurisdiction Sections shall be assigned cases falling within the
competence of the said Court in its Superior Jurisdiction which are
not assigned to the Family Section or to which the said article 54 of
the said Code does not apply. Articles 7 and 9 of this Order shall
mutatis mutandis  apply with respect to cases falling within the
competence of the said Court in its Superior Jurisdiction with
regard to the assignment of cases to the various Sections.
