Criminal law is important to provide good order and peace in a country. In Malta Criminal Law is regulated namely by chapter 9 of the Laws of Malta, nevertheless other crimes can be found in other chapters of the Laws including those regulating health and safety, employment, planning, press and media, value added tax and income tax.

Offences are twofold either Crimes or Contraventions. The latter are clearly defined in Article 2 of the Criminal Code. The classification distinguishes between a Crime and a Contravention according to the gravity of the offence.  The more serious the offence the more harsh the sanctions and thus classified as Crime, while the minor offences are classified as Contraventions.

The criminal law courts in Malta can be split up into three tiers:

• Court of Magistrates;
• Criminal Court;
• Court of Criminal Appeal.