CIVIL AVIATION (SECURITY)  ġ CAP. 353.        1
CHAPTER 353
CIVIL AVIATION (SECURITY) ACT
To give effect to the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board
Aircraft  ( Tokyo, 1963 ) ; the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft
( The Hague, 1970 ) ; and the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the
Safety of Civil Aviation  ( Montreal 1971 ) ; and the Protocol to the Montreal Convention
( 1988 ) .
(9th August, 1991) *
Enacted by ACT XX of 1991.
ARRANGEMENT OF ACT
* See  Government Notice No. 573 of 9th August, 1991.
Sections
PART I. Preliminary 1-2
PART II. Provisions giving effect to the Tokyo Convention (1963) 3-10
PART III. Provisions giving effect to the Hague Convention (1970)  11-17
PART IV. Provisions giving effect to the Montreal Convention (1971)
and the Montreal Protocol (1988) 18-23
General 24-27
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PART I
Preliminary
Short title. 1. This Act may be cited as the Civil Aviation (Security) Act.
Interpretation. 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the
following expressions have the following meanings respectively,
that is to say:
"aircraft" means any aircraft, whether or not a Maltese controlled
aircraft, other than -
( a ) a military aircraft; or
( b ) an aircraft which, not being a military aircraft, belongs
to or is exclusively employed in the service of the
Government of Malta for customs or police purposes;
but the Minister may by order, which may be varied or revoked by
a subsequent order, provide that any of the provisions of this Act
shall apply with or without modifications to aircraft such as are
mentioned in paragraph ( b ) of this definition;
"commander" in relation to an aircraft means the member of the
crew designated as commander of that aircraft by the operator
thereof, or, failing such a person, the person who is for the time
being the pilot in command of the aircraft;
"The Hague Convention" means the Convention for the
Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, done at The Hague on
the 16th day of December, 1970;
"Maltese controlled aircraft" means an aircraft - 
( a ) which is for the time being registered in Malta; or 
( b ) which is not for the time being registered in any
country but in the case of which either the operator of
the aircraft or each person entitled as owner to any
legal or beneficial interest in it satisfies the following
requirements, namely - 
(i) that he is a person qualified to be the owner of a
legal or beneficial interest in an aircraft
registered in Malta; and
(ii) that he resides or has his principal place of
business in Malta; or
( c ) which, being for the time being registered in some
other country, is for the time being chartered by
demise or leased without crew to a person who, or to
persons each of whom, satisfies the requirements
aforesaid or leased whether without or with crew to an
airline registered in Malta;
"Military aircraft" means an aircraft of the naval, military or air
forces of any country;
"Minister" means the Minister responsible for justice;
"operator" in relation to any aircraft at any time means the
person who at that time has the management of that aircraft; 
CIVIL AVIATION (SECURITY)  ġ CAP. 353.        3
"pilot in command" in relation to an aircraft means a person who
for the time being is in charge of the piloting of the aircraft without
being under the direction of any other pilot in the aircraft;
Cap. 164.
"police officer" has the same meaning assigned to it by the Malta
Police Ordinance;
"the Montreal Convention" means the Convention for the
Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation,
done at Montreal on the 23rd day of September, 1971;
"the Montreal Protocol" means the Protocol for the Suppression
of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International
Civil Aviation, Supplementary to the Montreal Convention, which
Protocol was signed at Montreal on the 24th February, 1988;
"the Tokyo Convention" means the Convention on Offences and
Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, done at Tokyo on
the 14th of September, 1963.
PART II
Provisions giving effect to the Tokyo Convention (1963)
Interpretation of 
Part II.
3. (1) In this Part, except where the context otherwise
requires, the following expressions have the following meanings
respectively, that is to say - 
"Convention country" means a country in which the Tokyo
Convention is for the time being in force; and the Minister may, by
order, certify that any country specified in the order is for the time
being a Convention country, and any such order for the time being
in force which may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order,
shall be conclusive evidence that the country in question is for the
time being a Convention country;
Cap. 217.
"Immigration Officer" has the same meaning assigned to it by
section 2 of the Immigration Act and includes any public officer
acting under such authority;
(2) For the purposes of this Part, the period during which an
aircraft is in flight shall be deemed to include - 
( a ) any period from the moment when power is applied for
the purpose of the aircraft taking off on a flight until
the moment when the landing run ends; and
( b ) for the purposes of section 6 - 
(i) any period from the moment when all external
doors of the aircraft are closed following
embarkation for a flight until the moment when
any such door is opened for disembarkation after
that flight; and
(ii) if the aircraft makes a forced landing, any period
thereafter until the time when a competent
authority takes over responsibility for the
aircraft and for the persons and property on
board the aircraft; and
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( c ) any period when the aircraft, although on the surface
of the sea or land, is not within the territorial limits of
any country. 
(3) In this Part, any reference to a country or the territorial
limits thereof includes a reference to the territorial waters, if any,
of that country.
Application of 
criminal law to 
offences on 
aircraft.
4. (1) Subject to subsection (2), any act taking place on board
any Maltese controlled aircraft while in flight elsewhere than in or
over Malta and which, if taking place in Malta, would constitute an
offence under the law in force in Malta shall constitute that
offence.
(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply to any act which is, by or
under the law in force in Malta, expressly or impliedly authorised
when taking place outside Malta.
Jurisdiction. 
Cap. 9.
5. For the purpose of section 5 of the Criminal Code, an
offence referred to in subsection (1) of section 4, shall be deemed
to have been committed in Malta.
Powers of the 
aircraft 
commander.
6. (1) If the commander of an aircraft in flight has reasonable
grounds to believe in respect of any person that the person in
question has committed, or is about to commit, on board the aircraft
any criminal offence or has done or is about to do any act which
jeopardizes or may jeopardize - 
( a ) the safety of the aircraft or of persons or property on
board the aircraft; or
( b ) good order and discipline on board the aircraft,
then, subject to section 7, the commander may take with respect to
that person such reasonable measures, including restraint of his
person, as may be necessary - 
(i) to protect the safety of the aircraft or of persons
or property on board the aircraft; or
(ii) to maintain good order and discipline on board
the aircraft; or
(iii) to enable the commander to deliver that person
in accordance with section 7.
(2) Where the commander of the aircraft is entitled under
subsection (1) to restrain any person - 
( a ) any member of the crew of the aircraft or any other
person on board the aircraft may - 
(i) at the request or with the authority of the
commander, render assistance in effecting the
restraint;
(ii) without obtaining the authority of the
commander, take with respect to any person on
board the aircraft any measures such as are
mentioned in subsection (1) which he has
reasonable grounds to believe are immediately
necessary to protect the safety of the aircraft or
CIVIL AVIATION (SECURITY)  ġ CAP. 353.        5
of persons or property on board the aircraft; and
( b ) any member of the crew shall, if the commander so
requires, render such assistance as the commander may
direct.
(3) Any member of the crew of an aircraft who wilfully and
without reasonable cause fails to assist the commander of the
aircraft in restraining any person when so required shall be liable to
a fine ( multa ) not exceeding five hundred liri.
Provisions 
ancillary to powers 
under section 6.
7. (1) Where a person is under restraint on an aircraft
pursuant to section 6 the commander of the aircraft shall as soon as
practicable, and if possible before landing in any country, notify
the authorities in that country of the fact that a person on board is
under restraint and of the reasons for such restraint.
(2) Any restraint imposed on any person on board an aircraft
conferred by section 6 shall not be continued after the time when
the aircraft first thereafter ceases to be in flight other than - 
( a ) for any period (including the period of any further
flight) between that time and the first occasion
thereafter on which the commander is able with any
requisite consent of the appropriate authorities to
disembark or deliver the person under restraint in
accordance with subsection (3); or
( b ) if the person under restraint agrees to continue his
journey under restraint on board that aircraft.
(3) The commander of an aircraft if in the case of any person
on board the aircraft he has reasonable grounds - 
( a ) to believe as mentioned in subsection (1) of section 6;
and 
( b ) to believe that it is necessary so to do in order to
protect the safety of the aircraft or of persons or
property on board the aircraft or to maintain good
order and discipline on board the aircraft,
may disembark that person in any country in which that aircraft
may be and, if convenient, deliver him to a person having the
function of a police officer or immigration officer.
(4) The commander of an aircraft - 
( a ) if he disembarks any person in pursuance of subsection
(3), in the case of a Maltese-controlled aircraft, in any
country or, in the case of any other aircraft, in Malta,
shall report the fact of, and the reasons for, that
disembarkation to the authorities in the country of
disembarkation and shall also request the authorities to
notify a diplomatic or consular representative of the
country of nationality of that person; or
( b ) if he delivers any person in pursuance of subsection
(3), shall at the time of delivery furnish to the
appropriate officer such evidence and information
relating to the need to take measures against that
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person pursuant to section 6, as at the time of
furnishing are lawfully in his possession.
(5) Any commander of an aircraft who wilfully and without
reasonable cause fails to comply with the requirement of subsection
(4) shall be liable on conviction to a fine ( multa ) of five hundred
liri.
Jurisdiction of 
Convention 
countries for 
extradition 
purposes. 
Cap. 276.
8. For the purposes of the application of the Extradition Act
to crimes committed on board an aircraft in flight, any aircraft
registered in a Convention country may, at any time while that
aircraft is in flight, be deemed to be within the jurisdiction of that
country whether or not it is for the time being also within the
jurisdiction of any other country.
Provisions as to 
evidence in 
connection with 
aircraft.
9. (1) Where, in proceedings before any court in Malta for an
offence committed on board an aircraft, the evidence of any person
is required and the court is satisfied that such person cannot be
found in Malta, there shall be admissible in evidence before that
court any statement relating to the subject-matter of those
proceedings previously made on oath by that person and which was
so made - 
( a ) in the presence of the person charged with the offence;
and
( b ) in any other Convention country to an officer having
functions corresponding to the functions, in Malta,
either of judge or of a magistrate or of a consular
officer.
(2) Any such deposition shall be authenticated by the signature
of the judge, magistrate or consular officer before whom it was
made, and shall be certified by him to have been taken in the
presence of the person charged as aforesaid.
(3) It shall not be necessary in any proceedings to prove the
signature or official character of the person appearing to have
authenticated any deposition, or to have given such a certificate as
aforesaid; and such a certificate shall, unless the contrary is proved,
be sufficient evidence in any proceedings that the person charged
as aforesaid was present at the making of the deposition.
Exemption from 
liability for acts 
against offenders 
under this Part.
10. The commander of an aircraft, any other member of the
crew, any passenger, any owner or operator of an aircraft or any
person on whose behalf a flight is made who takes action against
any person in pursuance of this Part shall be exempt from liability
for any measures taken against the offender in accordance with this
Part whether the offender is convicted or not.
PART III
Provisions giving effect to The Hague Convention (1970)
Interpretation.  11. In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires -
"Convention country" means a country in which The Hague
Convention is for the time being in force.
CIVIL AVIATION (SECURITY)  ġ CAP. 353.        7
Hijacking.
force or threat of force or by any other form of intimidation, seizes
or exercises control of that aircraft, commits the offence of
hijacking of such aircraft.
(2) For the purposes of this section, an aircraft shall be deemed
to be in flight at any time from the moment when all its external
doors are closed following embarkation until the moment when any
such door is opened for disembarkation, and in the case of a forced
landing, the flight shall be deemed to continue until the competent
authorities of the country in which such forced landing takes place
take over the responsibility for the aircraft and for persons and
property on board.
Punishment for 
hijacking.
13. Whoever commits the offence of hijacking shall be
punished with imprisonment for life.
Punishment for 
acts of violence 
connected with 
hijacking.
14. (1) Whoever, being a person committing the offence of
hijacking of an aircraft, commits, in connection with such offence,
any act of violence against any passenger or member of the crew of
such aircraft, shall be punished with the same punishment with
which he would have been punishable under any law for the time
being in force in Malta if such act had been committed in Malta.
Cap. 9.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section any act of
violence means any act which would constitute an offence under
sections 211, 212, 214, 216, 217, 218, 220 and 222 of the Criminal
Code.
Jurisdiction.
offence under this Part is committed outside Malta, the person
committing such offence may be dealt with in respect thereof as if
such offence had been committed in Malta.
(2) No court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable
under this Part and which is committed outside Malta unless - 
( a ) such offence is committed on board an aircraft
registered in Malta; or
( b ) such offence is committed on board an aircraft which
is for the time being leased without crew to a lessee
who has his principal place of business or where he
has no such place of business, his permanent residence
in Malta; or
( c ) the alleged offender is a citizen of Malta or is on board
the aircraft in relation to which such offence is
committed when it lands in Malta or is found in Malta.
Provisions as to 
extradition.
16. (1) The offences under this Part shall be deemed to have
been included as extraditable offences and provided for all the
extradition treaties made by Malta with Convention countries and
which extend to, and are binding on, Malta on the date of
commencement of this Act.
Cap. 276.
to offences under this Part, any aircraft registered in a Convention
country shall, at any time while that aircraft is in flight, be deemed
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to be within the jurisdiction of that country whether or not it is for
the time being also within the jurisdiction of any other country.
Cap. 276. (3) Where the Extradition Act does not apply in the case of any
State which is a party to The Hague Convention, the Minister may
make an order providing for the Extradition Act to apply in the case
of that State with like effect and subject to like terms and
conditions as if authorised by sections 4 and 7 of the Extradition
Act and, for the purposes of any such order, that Convention shall
be equivalent to the designation of a Commonwealth country under
the said section 4 and shall be treated as an arrangement such as is
mentioned in the said section 7.
Cap. 276. (4) Where the Extradition Act applies to any State by virtue
only of an order made under subsection (3), no application for
extradition by that State shall relate to any extradition crimes
within the meaning of the Extradition Act except offences deemed
to be included in the list of extradition crimes pursuant to
subsection (1).
Contracting Parties 
to Convention.
17. The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, certify as to
which are the contracting parties to The Hague Convention and to
what extent they have availed themselves of the provisions of the
Convention, and any such order shall be conclusive evidence of the
matters certified therein.
PART IV
Provisions giving effect to the Montreal Convention (1971) and 
the Montreal Protocol (1988)
Interpretation. 18. (1) In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires -
"airport" means any area of land or water designed, equipped, set
apart or commonly used for affording facilities for the take-off and
landing of aircraft;
"Convention country" means a country in which the Montreal
Convention and the Montreal Protocol are for the time being in
force.
(2) For the purposes of this Part -
( a ) an aircraft shall be deemed to be in flight at any time
from the moment when all its external doors are closed
following embarkation until the moment when any
such door is opened for disembarkation, and in the
case of a forced landing, the flight shall be deemed to
continue until the competent authorities of the country
in which such forced landing takes place take over the
responsibility for the aircraft and for persons and
property on board;
( b ) an aircraft shall be deemed to be in service from the
beginning of the pre-flight preparation of the aircraft
by the ground staff or by the crew for a specific flight
until twenty-four hours after any landing and the
period of such service shall include the entire period
CIVIL AVIATION (SECURITY)  ġ CAP. 353.        9
during which the aircraft is in flight.
Offence of 
committing 
violence on board 
an aircraft in flight, 
etc.
19. (1) Whoever unlawfully and intentionally -
( a ) commits an act of violence against a person on board
an aircraft in flight which is likely to endanger the
safety of such aircraft; or
( b ) destroys an aircraft in service or causes damage to
such aircraft in such a manner as to render it incapable
of flight or which is likely to endanger its safety in
flight; or
( c ) places or causes to be placed on an aircraft in service,
by any means whatsoever, a device or substance which
is likely to destroy that aircraft, or to cause damage to
it which renders it incapable of flight, or to cause
damage to it which is likely to endanger its safety in
flight; or
( d ) communicates such information which he knows to be
false so as to endanger the safety of an aircraft in
flight,
shall be liable to life imprisonment.
(2) Whoever unlawfully and intentionally using any device,
substance or weapon -
( a ) performs an act of violence against a person at an
airport serving international civil aviation which
causes or is likely to cause serious injury or death; or
( b ) destroys or seriously damages the facilities of an
airport serving international civil aviation or aircraft
not in service located therein or disrupts the services
of the airport,
if such an act endangers or is likely to endanger the safety at that
airport shall be liable to life imprisonment or to such lesser
punishment, being not less than imprisonment for three years, as
the court may deem fit.
Cap. 9.
(3) For the purpose of this section "act of violence" means any
act which would constitute the offences under sections 211, 212,
214, 216, 217, 218, 220 and 222 of the Criminal Code; or any act
whereby an explosion of a nature likely to endanger life, or to cause
serious injury to property, is maliciously caused by means of any
explosive substance, whether or not any injury to person or
property is actually caused; "explosive substance" has the same
meaning assigned to it by section 314 of the Criminal Code.
Destruction of, or 
damage to, air 
navigation 
facilities.
20. Whoever unlawfully and intentionally destroys or damages
air navigation facilities or interferes with their operation in such a
manner as is likely to endanger the safety of the aircraft in flight
shall be liable to imprisonment for life.
Jurisdiction.
offence under section 19 is committed outside Malta, the person
committing such offence may be dealt with in respect thereof as if
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such offences had been committed in Malta.
(2) No court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable
under section 19 which is committed outside Malta unless -
( a ) such offence is committed on board an aircraft
registered in Malta; or
( b ) such offence is committed on board an aircraft which
is for the time being leased without crew to a lessee
who has his principal place of business, or where he
has no such place of business, his permanent residence
in Malta; or
( c ) the alleged offender is a citizen of Malta or is on board
the aircraft in relation to which such offence is
committed when it lands in Malta or is found in Malta.
Provisions as to 
extradition.
22. (1) The offences under this Part shall be deemed to have
been included as extraditable offences and provided for in all the
extradition treaties made by Malta with Convention Countries and
which extend to, and are binding on, Malta on the date of
commencement of this Act.
Cap. 276. (2) For the purposes of the application of the Extradition Act,
to offences under this Act, any aircraft registered in a Convention
country shall, at any time while that aircraft is in flight, be deemed
to be within the jurisdiction of that country, whether or not it is for
the time being also within the jurisdiction of any other country.
Cap. 276. (3) Where the Extradition Act does not apply in the case of any
foreign State which is a party to the Montreal Convention, or to the
Montreal Protocol, the Minister may make an order providing for
the Extradition Act to apply in the case of that State with like effect
and subject to like terms and conditions as authorised by sections 4
and 7 of the Extradition Act and, for the purposes of any such
order, that Convention and that Protocol shall be equivalent to the
designation of a Commonwealth country under the said section 4
and shall be treated as an arrangement such as is mentioned in the
said section 7.
Cap. 276. (4) Where the Extradition Act applies to any State by virtue
only of an order made under subsection (3), no application for
extradition by that State shall relate to any extradition crimes
within the meaning of the Extradition Act except offences deemed
to be included in the list of extradition crimes pursuant to
subsection (1).
Contracting Parties 
to convention.
23. The Minister may, by order in the Gazette, certify as to
who are the contracting parties to the Montreal Convention and the
Montreal Protocol and to what extent they have availed themselves
of the provisions of the Convention, and any such order shall be
conclusive evidence of the matters certified therein.
CIVIL AVIATION (SECURITY)  ġ CAP. 353.        11
General
Aircraft operated 
by joint or 
international 
organization.
 24. If the Minister by order declares -
( a ) that any two or more States named in the order have
established an organization or agency which operates
aircraft; and
( b ) that one of those States has been designated to exercise
the powers of the State of registration, or to be
considered as the State thereof, in relation to all or any
aircraft so operated,
then, for the purposes of such provisions of this Act as the order
may prescribe, the State so designated or considered under
paragraph ( b )   shall be deemed to be the State in which all aircraft
so operated, or (as the case may be) any such aircraft specified in
the order, are registered.
Regulations.
giving effect to this Act and, without prejudice to the generality of
the foregoing, may provide for -
( a ) the procedure in assisting an offender to communicate
with a representative of the State of which he is a
national;
( b ) the notification to any foreign State of any matter to be
notified under this Act;
( c ) the restoration and preservation of control of an
aircraft to the commander of the aircraft;
( d ) the return of an aircraft and its cargo, after such
aircraft and cargo have been unlawfully seized, to any
person lawfully entitled to possession;
( e ) assisting passengers and crew to continue their journey
after the unlawful seizure of an aircraft; and
( f ) the holding of any investigation into unlawful or
dangerous acts on board an aircraft.
Protection of 
action taken in 
good faith.
26. (1) No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall lie
against any person for anything which, in good faith, is done or
intended to be done in pursuance of the provisions of this Act.
(2) No suit or other legal proceeding shall lie against the
Government of Malta for any damage caused or likely to be caused
for anything which, in good faith, is done or intended to be done in
pursuance of the provisions of this Act.
Authorisation for 
the ratification of 
these Conventions.
27. In virtue of this Act, the Government of Malta is authorised
to ratify the Tokyo Convention, The Hague Convention, the
Montreal Convention and the Montreal Protocol.
