Chapter 193

UNITED KINGDOM LANDS (VESTING) [ CAP. 193. 1 CHAPTER 193 UNITED KINGDOM LANDS (VESTING) ACT To make provision for the vesting in or reversion to the Government of Malta of certain properties and rights which on the 20th September, 1964 were vested in or belonged or pertained to or were held or were exercisable by certain departments or authorities of the Government of the United Kingdom or an authorized service organization. (1st February, 1966)* Enacted by ACT XIII of 1966. 1. This Act may be cited as the United Kingdom Lands (Vesting) Act. 2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires - Short title Interpretation. "authorized service organization" means the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes, the Royal Naval Film Corporation, the Army Kinema Corporation, the Royal Air Force Cinema Corporation and such other non-profit making organization authorized by the Government of the United Kingdom to accompany the armed forces of the Government in Malta to provide for the need of members of those forces and their dependants as may be designated for the purposes of this Act by the Prime Minister by notice published in the Government Gazette; "land" means immovable property of any kind, including buildings and structures and other works in, on, under or over land and includes land wholly or partially covered by water; "Malta" has the same meaning as is assigned to it by article 124 of the Constitution of Malta; "United Kingdom" means the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 3. (1) The absolute ownership, right and title in all land in Malta which on the 20th September, 1964 was vested or belonged, in absolute ownership, in or to any department or authority of the armed services of the United Kingdom or any authorized service organization, or in or to any such other department or authority of the Government of the United Kingdom as may be designated by the Prime Minister by notice in the Government Gazette, and all rights in or over land or territorial waters in Malta, whether real or personal, which on the date aforesaid pertained to or were held or were exercisable by any such department or authority or organization as aforesaid shall vest, with effect from the 21st September, 1964, in the Government of Malta by virtue of this Act and without further assurance. (2) Subarticle (1) shall not apply to such rights as derived from emphyteutical grants made for a period not exceeding fifty years *See Government Notice No. 107 of the 1st of February, 1966. Vesting of certain properties. 2 CAP. 193.] UNITED KINGDOM LANDS (VESTING) otherwise than by the Government of Malta nor shall it apply to such personal rights (including rights of occupation and use) as derived from leases or other agreements entered into other than with the Government of Malta: Provided that in respect of such rights as derived from emphyteutical grants made for a period not exceeding fifty years otherwise than by the Government of Malta and as are designated by the Prime Minister by notice in the Government Gazette, subarticle (1) shall apply with effect from the date of such notice or such later date as may be specified in the notice. Cap. 88. Cap.157. (3) Nothing in subarticle (2) shall be construed as excluding the application of subarticle (1) to any right acquired or exercisable by any department or authority of the armed services of the United Kingdom by virtue or in pursuance of the Land Acquisition (Public Purposes) Ordinance or of any other law authorizing the compulsory acquisition or exercise of such right. (4) The vesting by virtue of this article of the assets referred to in article 3 of the Malta Dockyard Emergency Ordinance, shall extend also to all other property which is the subject of a lease dated the 28th March, 1959, granted under the said Ordinance in the terms set out in the Second Schedule thereto. Reversion of certain properties. 4. All land in Malta which on the 20th September, 1964 was held by any department or authority of the armed services of the United Kingdom under clause 25 of the Order in Council dated the 26th October, 1896, and published in the Government Gazette on the 19th November, 1896, shall, notwithstanding anything contained in that Order, revert to the Government of Malta by virtue of this Act with effect from the 21st September, 1964. Act not to affect certain rights. 5. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting the continuance of any right in or over any land referred to in article 3 which, immediately before the date on which the vesting of such land takes effect under the provisions of that article, was held or enjoyed by any person or body other than a department or authority of the Government of the United Kingdom or an authorized service organization, or as affecting any right of any department or authority of the Government of the United Kingdom or of any authorized service organization deriving from the Agreement on Mutual Defence and Assistance between the Government of Malta and the Government of the United Kingdom signed on the 21st September, 1964.