Cap. 201 Art. 2Interpretation.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires -

"architect" includes a civil engineer; "certified purpose" means the use specified in the certificate issued by the competent ecclesiastical authorities for the purpose of subarticle (1) of article 8;

"competent ecclesiastical authorities" means in relation to the Roman Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Malta or the Bishop of Gozo according to whether the immovable property is situate within the territorial limits of the diocese of Malta or of Gozo, and in relation to any other church or other pious or religious institution belonging to a denomination other than the Roman Catholic Church, the highest authority of that denomination in Malta as may be recognised by the Attorney General for the purposes of this Act;

"extended period" means any period as extended under article 4 or the period which is to run from the date of restoration referred to in article 9; "immovable property" means any land or building, and includes the dominium directum, the dominium utile, the nuda proprietas or the right of usufruct of any land or building; "Malta" means the Island of Malta, the Island of Gozo and the other Islands of the Maltese Archipelago; "prescribed period" means -

(a) in relation to any immovable property which is acquired by any church or other pious or religious institution subject to the temporary right of usufruct in favour of one or more persons not being a church or other pious or religious institution, one year from the day of the cessation of such usufruct and its consolidation with the nuda proprietas;

(b) in relation to any immovable property which is acquired by any church or other pious or religious institution subject to the right of use in favour of one or more persons not being a church or other pious or

*See Government Notice No. 573 of the 1st of September, 1967. under paragraph (a) or (b), which is acquired by any church or other pious or religious institution by title of legacy, one year from the day on which such church or other institution is given possession of such property or two years from the day of the death of the testator, whichever is the earlier;

(d) in relation to any immovable property not falling under paragraph (a), (b) or (c), one year from the day of acquisition of such property by the church or other pious or religious institution.