Chapter 45 – Lepers Ordinance

What is this act about?

Din il-liġi tittratta dispożizzjonijiet dwar il-marda magħrufa bħala l-lebbra. L-għan ewlieni tagħha huwa li tirregola l-wasla u l-immaniġġjar ta' persuni bil-lebbra f'Malta.

Who it applies to: Lebbrużi li ġejjin minn barra Malta; Kaptani jew persuni oħra responsabbli minn bastimenti li jġorru lebbrużi.

At a glance

Country: Malta
Area of law: Other legislation
Source: legislation.mt
Text retrieved: 2026-06-17
Explanation updated: 2026-07-07

What does this act regulate?

Il-projbizzjoni ta' lebbrużi li ġejjin minn barra Malta milli jinżlu l-art fil-portijiet ta' Malta.
Il-proċeduri li għandhom jittieħdu jekk lebbruż barrani jasal Malta.
Ir-responsabbiltà tal-kaptan tal-bastiment għall-inżul ta' lebbruż.
Id-detenzjoni u r-rimozzjoni ta' lebbrużi li jinżlu l-art.

Who does this act apply to?

Lebbrużi li ġejjin minn barra Malta.
Kaptani jew persuni oħra responsabbli minn bastimenti li jġorru lebbrużi.

What are the key points?

L-ebda lebbruż li ġej minn barra Malta ma jista' jinżel l-art fil-portijiet ta' Malta.
Din il-projbizzjoni ma tapplikax għal persuni mwielda Malta.
Kaptan li jippermetti l-inżul ta' lebbruż jista' jeħel pieni għal kontravvenzjonijiet.
Lebbruż li jinżel l-art jista' jiġi miżmum fi sptar u jista' jiġi rrimmiedjat minn Malta.

Other legislation

Chapter 518 – Protection of Minors (Registration) Act

Chapter 36 – Prevention of Disease Ordinance

Chapter 263 – Prevention of Corruption (Players) Act

Chapter 458 – Medicines Act

Chapter 79 – Commissioners for Oaths Ordinance

Chapter 169 – Commissioner of Land Ordinance

Chapter 575 – Government Borrowing and Management of Public Debt Act

Chapter 246 – Immovable Property (Acquisition by Non-residents) Act

Other legislation

Legal text

LEP ER S

CHAPTER 45

LEPERS ORDINANCE * To make provisions with respect to the Disease commonly known as Leprosy. (19th September, 1919) † Enacted by ORDINANCE XX of 1919, as amended by: Act XV of 1929;

Ordinances: XXV of 1939 and XVI of 1942; Acts: XXXIX of 1948 and XI of 1953; Legal Notice 46 of 1965; Act LVIII of 1974; Legal Notice 148 of 1975; Acts VIII of 1990 and V of 2007; and Legal Notice 346 of 2008.

The short title of this Ordinance is the Lepers Ordinance.

2.(1) No leper coming from any place outside Malta shall land at any of the ports of Malta.

(2)The provision of subarticle (1) shall not apply to persons born in Malta.

(3)The master or other person in charge of any vessel who suffers or permits or fails to prevent the landing from such vessel at any such port of any person whom he knows or has reasonable grounds to believe to be a leper shall, on conviction, be liable to the punishments established for contraventions.

(4)Every leper so landing as aforesaid may by warrant of the President of Malta be committed to a hospital designated therein and there detained for such time as may be fixed in the warrant.

Short title.

Alien lepers prohibited from landing in Malta.

Amended by:

XI. 1953.3;

L.N. 46 of 1965 LVIII. 1974.68;

L.N. 148 of 1975;

VIII. 1990.3;

V. 2007.25;

L.N. 346 of 2008.

Measures to be taken in case of landing.

(5)Every leper so landing as aforesaid may be brought before a magistrate of the Courts of Magistrates, who may examine such leper and any other witness on oath, concerning the place from which such leper came to Malta, and may cause such leper to be removed to such place in such manner as the President of Malta may direct.

(6)The reasonable cost of such inquiry and removal shall be borne and paid by the master or other person in charge of the vessel by which such leper was brought to Malta, or by whose act or default such leper was permitted to land.

(7)Such cost shall be recoverable as a civil debt due to the Government by proceedings before the Civil Court, First Hall.

(8)For the purposes of the preceding provisions of this article the decision whether a person is a leper shall rest with the Administrative Review Tribunal established in terms of article 5 of the Administrative Justice Act and the provision of this Act shall apply to such an appeal. *This Ordinance has been repealed by Act XXVI of 2024. †See Proclamation No. XVII of 1919.

Observance of the principles of good administrative behaviour.

LEPERS

(9)The said board shall respect and apply the principles of good administrative behaviour laid down in article 3 of the Administrative Justice Act.

AI explanation based on the official legal text. Indicative, not a substitute for legal advice.