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Constitution of Malta 1964, as amended to 2022
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- EnglishThe State shall promote the equal right of men and women to enjoy all economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights and for this purpose shall take appropriate measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination between the sexes by any person, organisation or enterprise;
… (Art. 14) - MalteseL-Istat għandu jippromwovi dritt ugwali ta’ rġiel u nisa li jgawdu d-drittijiet ekonomiċi, soċjali, kulturali, ċivili u politiċi kollha u għal dan il-għan għandu jieħu dawk il-miżuri li jkunu ndikati biex jelimina kull forma ta’ diskriminazzjoni bejn is-sessi, minn kull persuna, organizzazzjoni jew azjenda;
… (Art. 14)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- EnglishWhereas every person in Malta is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest,
… (Art. 32) - MalteseBilli kull persuna f’Malta hija intitolata għad-drittijiet u libertajiet fundamentali tal-individwu, jiġifieri, id-dritt, tkun xi tkun ir-razza, post ta’ oriġini, fehmiet politiċi, kulur, twemmin, sess, orjentazzjoni sesswali jew identità tal-ġeneru tagħha, iżda suġġett għar-rispett tad-drittijiet u l-libertajiet ta’ oħrajn u tal-interess pubbliku,
… (Art. 32)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
- English(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-articles (4), (5) and (7) of this article, no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
(2) Subject to the provisions of sub-articles (6), (7) and (8) of this article, no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.
(3) In this article, the expression "discriminatory" means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.
(4) Sub-article (1) of this article shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision –
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(c) with respect to adoption, marriage, dissolution of marriage, burial, devolution of property on death or any matters of personal law not hereinbefore specified; or
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(e) for authorising the taking during a period of public emergency of measures that are reasonably justifiable for the purpose of dealing with the situation that exists during that period of public emergency;
Provided that paragraph (c) of this sub-article shall not apply to any law which makes any provision that is discriminatory, either of itself or in its effect by affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective description by sex.
(5) Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of sub-article (1) of this article to the extent that it makes provision:
(a) with respect to qualifications for service or conditions of service in any disciplined force; or
(b) with respect to qualifications (not being qualifications specifically relating to sex, sexual orientation or gender identity) for service as a public officer or for service of a local government authority or a body corporate established for public purposes by any law.
(6) Sub-article (2) of this article shall not apply to anything which is expressly or by necessary implication authorised to be done by any such provision of law as is referred to in sub-article (4) or (5) of this article.
(7) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this article to the extent that the law in question makes provision (not being provisions specifically relating to sex) whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in sub-article (3) of this article may be subjected to any restriction on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by articles 38, 40, 41, 42 and 44 of this Constitution, being such a restriction as is authorised by article 38(2), 40(2), 41(2), 42(2) or 44(3).
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(10) Until the expiration of a period of two years commencing on the 1st July, 1991, nothing contained in any law made before the 1st July, 1991, shall be held to be inconsistent with the provisions of this article, in so far as that law provides for different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective description by sex.
(11) Nothing in the provisions of this article shall apply to any law or anything done under the authority of a law, or to any procedure or arrangement, in so far as such law, thing done, procedure or arrangement provides for the taking of special measures aimed at accelerating de facto equality between men and women, and in so far only as such measures, taking into account the social fabric of Malta, are shown to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society. (Art. 45) - Maltese(1) Bla ħsara għad-disposizzjonijiet tas-subartikoli (4), (5) u (7) ta’ dan l-artikolu, ebda liġi ma għandha tagħmel xi disposizzjoni li tkun diskriminatorja sew fiha nnifisha jew fl-effett tagħha.
(2) Bla ħsara għad-disposizzjonijiet tas-subartikoli (6), (7) u (8) ta’ dan l-artikolu, ħadd ma għandu jiġi trattat b’mod diskriminatorju minn xi persuna li taġixxi bis-saħħa ta’ xi liġi miktuba jew fil-qadi tal-funzjonijiet ta’ xi kariga pubblika jew xi awtorità pubblika.
(3) F’dan l-artikolu, il-kelma "diskriminatorju" tfisser għoti ta’ trattament differenti lil persuni differenti attribwibbli għal kollox jew prinċipalment għad-deskrizzjoni tagħhom rispettiva skont ir-razza, post ta’ oriġini, opinjonijiet politiċi, kulur, fidi, sess, orjentazzjoni sesswali jew identità tal-ġeneru li minħabba fihom persuni ta’ deskrizzjoni waħda bħal dawn ikunu suġġetti għal inkapaċitajiet jew restrizzjonijiet li persuni ta’ deskrizzjoni oħra bħal dawn ma jkunux suġġetti għalihom jew ikunu mogħtija privileġġi jew vantaġġi li ma jkunux mogħtija lil persuni ta’ deskrizzjoni oħra bħal dawn.
(4) Is-subartikolu (1) ta’ dan l-artikolu ma għandux jgħodd għal xi liġi safejn dik il-liġi tipprovdi –
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(ċ) dwar adozzjoni, żwieġ, xoljiment ta’ żwieġ, dfin, devoluzzjoni ta’ proprjetà mal-mewt jew xi ħwejjeġ ta’ liġi personali mhux hawn qabel speċifikati; jew
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(e) għall-awtorizzazzjoni tat-teħid matul perijodu ta’ emerġenza pubblika ta’ miżuri li jkunu raġonevolment ġustifikabbli sabiex tiġi milqugħa s-sitwazzjoni li tkun teżisti matul dak il-perijodu ta’ emerġenza pubblika:
Iżda l-paragrafu (ċ) ta’ dan is-subartikolu ma għandux japplika għal xi liġi li tagħmel xi disposizzjoni li tkun diskriminatorja sew fiha nnifisha jew fl-effett tagħha, billi tagħti trattament differenti lil persuni differenti attribwibbli għal kollox jew prinċipalment għad-deskrizzjoni tagħhom skont is-sess.
(5) Ebda ħaġa li jkun hemm f’xi liġi ma għandha titqies li tkun inkonsistenti ma’ jew bi ksur tas-subartikolu (1) ta’ dan l-artikolu sa fejn tipprovdi:
(a) dwar kwalifiki għal servizz u kundizzjonijiet ta’ servizz f’xi korp dixxiplinat; jew
(b) dwar kwalifiki (li ma jkunux kwalifiki li jirrigwardaw is-sess, l-orjentazzjoni sesswali jew l-identità tal-ġeneru speċifikament) għal servizz bħala uffiċjal pubbliku jew għas-servizz ta’ awtorità ta’ gvern lokali jew għaqda korporata mwaqqfa għal skopijiet pubbliċi b’xi liġi.
(6) Is-subartikolu (2) ta’ dan l-artikolu ma għandux jgħodd għal xi ħaġa li tkun espressament jew b’implikazzjoni meħtieġa awtorizzata li ssir minn xi disposizzjoni bħal dik ta’ liġi kif huwa msemmi fis-subartikolu (4) jew (5) ta’ dan l-artikolu.
(7) Ebda ħaġa li tkun hemm jew li tkun magħmula bl-awtorità ta’ xi liġi ma għandha titqies li tkun inkonsistenti ma jew bi ksur ta’ dan l-artikolu safejn il-liġi in kwistjoni tagħmel provvediment (li ma jkunux provvedimenti li jirrigwardaw is-sess speċifikatament) li bih persuni ta’ xi deskrizzjoni bħal dik kif hija msemmija fis-subartikolu (3) ta’ dan l-artikolu jistgħu jiġu assoġġettati għal xi restrizzjoni fuq drittijiet u libertajiet garantiti bl-artikoli 38, 40, 41, 42 u 44 ta’ din il-Kostituzzjoni, li tkun restrizzjoni bħal dik kif awtorizzata bl-artikolu 38(2), 40(2), 41(2), 42(2) jew 44(3).
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(10) Sa tmiem ta’ perjodu ta’ sentejn li jibda fl-1 ta’ Lulju, 1991, ebda ħaġa li hemm f’xi liġi magħmula qabel l-1 ta’ Lulju, 1991, ma titqies li tkun inkonsistenti mad-disposizzjonijiet ta’ dan l-artikolu, billi dik il-liġi tkun tipprovdi għal trattament differenti lil persuni differenti attribwibbli għal kollox jew prinċipalment għad-deskrizzjoni tagħhom rispettiva skont is-sess.
(11) Ebda ħaġa fid-disposizzjonijiet ta’ dan l-artikolu ma għandha tgħodd għal xi liġi, jew għal xi ħaġa magħmula taħt l-awtorità ta’ xi liġi, jew għal xi proċedura jew arranġament, sa fejn dik il-liġi, ħaġa magħmula, proċedura jew arranġament jipprovdu għat-tehid ta’ miżuri speċjali bil-għan li tiġi aċċellerata l-ugwaljanza de facto bejn irġiel u nisa, u sa fejn biss dawk il-miżuri, meħud kont tat-tessut soċjali ta’ Malta, ikunu murija li huma raġjonevolment ġustifikati f’soċjetà demokratika. (Art. 45)
1
Constitution of Malta 1964, as amended to 2022 (English). According to Art. 5(1): "The National language of Malta is the Maltese language.”
3
Chapter IV on Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Individual