Cap. 510 Art. 3Establishment of the Authority. Organs of the Authority.

(1) There shall be a body to be known as the Malta

Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.

(2) The Authority shall be a body corporate having a separate and distinct legal personality and may, in pursuance of its functions enter into contracts, acquire, hold or dispose of real and personal property, sue and be sued and do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the fulfilment of its functions, including the lending and borrowing of money.

(3) (a) The legal and judicial representation of the Authority shall be vested in the Chairman: Provided that the Board may appoint any one or more of the Authority’s officers or employees to appear in the name and on behalf of the Authority in any proceedings and in any act, contract, instrument or other document whatsoever, or in the case of a vacancy in the post of Chairman: Provided further that in matters relating exclusively to the responsibilities of an entity forming part of the Authority as established in Parts IV to VII of this Act, the legal and judicial representation of the Authority in those matters shall vest in the Director General heading the entity.

(b) Any document purporting to be an instrument made or issued by the Authority and signed by the Chairman or by the Directors General in relation to any matter delegated to them on behalf of the Authority shall be received in evidence and shall, until the contrary is proved, be deemed to be an instrument made or issued by the Authority.

(4) The main organs of the Authority are the Board of

Governors, the Co-ordination Committee and the four respective entities.

(5) Where in this Act anything is to be done by or against or with respect to the Authority, or any notice is to be or may be given to or by the Authority, any such thing or notice may also be done by or against or with respect to or be given to or by the entity under whose jurisdiction the matter falls; and for the purposes aforesaid any reference in this Act to the Authority includes a reference to the appropriate entity.

(6) The Authority shall assume the persona previously vested in the Office for Fair Competition, Department of Consumer Affairs, the Malta Standards Authority and the Malta National Laboratory Company Limited and, from the entry into force of this Act, shall assume responsibility for all assets, liabilities and obligations previously entered into by the said Office, Department, Authority and Company or by other bodies on their behalf.