Updated 6.30pm
The University of Malta’s law faculty will be taking a deep dive into Malta’s construction laws in an attempt to consolidate legislation and propose amendments where necessary.
The initiative is prompted by a memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry for Public Works and Planning and the University of Malta.
Students who are currently studying law at a Master's Level will be given the opportunity, under the supervision of their lecturers, to identify all the laws that are connected to the Building and Construction Authority and see if these laws are compatible with other existing general laws such as the Code of Police Laws, the Civil Code and the Criminal Code.
Where a lack of compatibility is found, the Faculty of Laws will put forward suggestions on the changes that are necessary so that the laws are more reflective of today's realities.
The signing of the agreement was presided by Public Works and Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and Education Minister Clifton Grima.
Zrinzo Azzopardi said that the agreement will improve necessary legal knowledge in the construction sector while also helping to prepare the legal professionals of tomorrow for the current realities of the construction industry, paving the way for a higher-quality construction industry.
Grima spoke about the importance of having students engage in practice apart from academic knowledge. The MOU will allow students to get hands-on knowledge and contribute to society, he said, while helping to improve the country's laws.
The University of Malta rector Alfred J Vella reiterated that through such collaboration, the University of Malta will be in a position to actively assist the Ministry in its mission related to the construction industry. He continued that they look forward to the outcome of this agreement and hope to have more useful collaborations of the sort in the future.
The agreement was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Public Works and Planning, Carlos Tabone, Rector Vella, and the Dean of the Faculty of Laws Ivan Mifsud.