Cap. 188 чл. 14Deprivation of citizenship of citizens by registration or naturalisation.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this article, the Minister may by order deprive of his Maltese citizenship any citizen of

Malta who is such by registration or naturalisation if he is satisfied that the registration or certificate of naturalisation was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact.

(2) Subject to the provisions of this article, the Minister may by order deprive of his Maltese citizenship any citizen of Malta who is such by registration or by naturalisation if he is satisfied that the citizen -

(a) has shown himself by act or speech to be disloyal or disaffected towards the President or the Government of Malta; or

(b) has, during any war in which Malta was engaged, unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy or been engaged in or associated with any business that was to his knowledge carried on in such a manner as to assist an enemy in that war; or

(c) has, within seven years after becoming naturalised, or being registered as a citizen of Malta, been sentenced in any country to a punishment restrictive of personal liberty for a term of not less than twelve months; or

(d) has been ordinarily resident in foreign countries for a continuous period of seven years and during that period has neither -

(i) been at any time in the service of the Republic or of an international organisation of which the Government of Malta was a member; or

(ii) given notice in writing to the Minister of his intention to retain citizenship of Malta.

(3) The Minister shall not deprive a person of citizenship under this article unless he is satisfied that it is not contrary to the public interest that, that person continues to be a citizen of Malta and, in the case referred to in sub-article (2)(c), it appears to him that, that person would not thereupon become stateless and in the case of sub-article 2(d) only, if during the period in question it has been shown that his conduct is seriously prejudicial to the vital interests of Malta or it has emerged that he is a threat to public security or public policy.

(4) Before making an order under this article, the Minister shall give the person against whom the order is proposed to be made notice in writing informing him of the ground on which it is proposed to be made and of his right to an inquiry under this article; and if that person applies in the prescribed manner for an inquiry, the Minister shall refer the case to a committee of inquiry consisting of a chairman, being a person possessing judicial experience, appointed by the Minister and of such other members appointed by the Minister as he thinks proper.

(5) The Minister may make rules for the practice and procedure to be followed in connection with a committee of inquiry appointed under this article, and such rules may, in particular, provide for conferring on any such committee any powers, rights or privileges of any court, and for enabling any powers so conferred to be exercised by one or more members of the committee.