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Malta: police & security agencies

01 January 1991

Malta: police & security agencies
bacdoc July=1995

The information in this country file was first published in the
handbook "Statewatching the new Europe" (November 1993). It was
compiled by Peter Klerks and extracted from a longer report which
is available from: The Domestic Security Research Foundation, PO
Box 11178, 1001 GD, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Malta

320km², 356,427 inhabitants

Long-form name: Republic of Malta
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Valletta

Administrative divisions: none (administration directly from
Valletta)

Constitution: 26 April 1974, effective 2 June 1974

Legal system: based on English common law and Roman civil law;
has accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court and Court of Appeal

Police structures

The Pulizija ta' Malta is controlled by the Ministry of the
Interior and organized into ten Police Districts.
Although the Maltese police is limited in numbers, it has all the
usual services such as a criminal investigation department, a
professional forensic department, a Security Branch, a Vice
Squad, a Fraud Squad and a specially equipped SWAT unit. It is
also a member of Interpol. Since 1988 Malta even has its own
police academy, and the highest-ranking officers are further
educated in the UK or in other countries and at universities.

Normally Maltese police officers are only armed with a baton, but
in special occasions firearms or teargas and other riot gear is
issued. When necessary the Police Force is assisted by the Malta
Task Force, a component of the Armed Forces of Malta.

Source: Statewatch database on the WWW