PART IV - Newspapers

34. Anyone who is resident in Malta and who has attained the age of eighteen years may edit a newspaper.

35. (1) Whosoever is the editor or the publisher of a newspaper shall, within ten days of his becoming editor or publisher, as the case may be, produce to the Registrar a declaration containing ­

(a) in the case of the editor ­

(i) his name and surname, Identity Card number, age and place of residence; and

(ii) the title and nature of the newspaper, and the intervals at which it is proposed to be published; and

(b) in the case of a publisher ­

(i) if the publisher is an individual, his name, surname, age, place of residence and Identity Card number;

(ii) if the publisher is a company or other association of persons, its name, address, the particulars mentioned in subparagraph (i) in respect of its judicial representative, and, where applicable, its company or partnership registration number;

(iii) the title and nature of the newspaper and the intervals at which it is proposed to be published; and

(iv) the name and address of the press where the printing is to take place;

and both the editor and the publisher of any newspaper shall keep the Registrar at all times informed of his place of residence and shall communicate to the Registrar any change in his place of residence within ten days of such change.

(2) If any person fails to comply with any of the provisions of subsection (1) of this section he shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine (multa).

36. (1) The Registrar shall keep a register of newspapers and enter therein the particulars referred to in section 35 and any changes thereto, and shall make such other entries therein and such alterations thereto as may be appropriate or as may be prescribed by regulations made under this Act.

(2) Any person may inspect the register at all reasonable times during normal office hours and may also, against payment of the appropriate fee, require a certified copy of any entry in or any extract from the register kept under this section.

(3) The Registrar shall cancel the registration of a newspaper­

(a) if he is so requested in writing by the editor thereof; or

(b) if, in the case of a newspaper published at intervals not exceeding one month, such newspaper is not published for a period exceeding three months, and, in the case of any other newspaper, if it is not published for a period exceeding one year.

37. Every editor of a newspaper shall deliver, free of charge, to the Registrar, the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police a copy of every issue of such newspaper, not later than the day following that of its publication, and in default thereof, he shall be liable to a fine (ammenda) of one lira for each copy not so delivered.

38. Deleted by X. 1996.23.

39. Where any false statement is made in any of the particulars required under section 35 of this Act the offender shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months.

40. (1) Criminal prosecution for any offence under this Part shall be barred by prescription after the lapse of three months.

(2) Nevertheless criminal prosecution for the offence mentioned in section 39 shall be barred after the lapse of one year.

41. The provisions of this Part shall not apply to any periodical publication published by, or by order or leave of or for the use of, the Government of Malta or any of its Ministries or Departments or the House of Representatives.