Cap. 234 Art. 190Official logs to be kept and to be evidence. 

(1) An official log shall be kept in every Maltese ship, other than a ship employed solely in navigation on the coasts of

Malta, in the appropriate form for that ship approved by the

Registrar-General.

(2) The Registrar-General shall approve forms of official log books, which may be different for different classes of ships, so that each such form shall contain proper spaces for the entries required by this Act.

(3) The official log may, at the discretion of the master, or owner or bareboat charterer, be kept distinct from, or united with, the ordinary ship’s log, so that in all cases the spaces in the official log book shall be duly filled up.

(4) An entry required by this Act in an official log book shall be made as soon as possible after the occurrence to which it relates, and if not made on the same day as that occurrence shall be made and dated so as to show the date of the occurrence and of the entry respecting it; and if made in respect of an occurrence happening before the arrival of the ship at her final port of discharge shall not be made more than twenty-four hours after that arrival.

(5) Every entry in the official log book shall be signed by the master and by the mate or some other member of the crew, and also-

(a) if it is an entry of illness, injury or death, shall be signed by the surgeon or medical practitioner on board, if any; and

(b) if it is an entry of wages due to, or of the effects of, a seaman or apprentice who dies, shall be signed by the mate and by some member of the crew besides the master.

(6) All entries made in an official log book in manner provided by this Act shall, until the contrary is proved, be evidence of their contents, provided the authenticity of the log book is proved.