Cap. 55 Art. 18Notarial acts of which the Archivist is the keeper ex officio.

The keeper of the Malta Archives and the keeper of the Gozo Archives are respectively the keepers of the deeds ex officio of former notaries to Government in Malta and Gozo and of the notarial acts belonging to the Government under any title whatsoever, as well as of all other acts in respect of which there is no keeper and which are deposited in the said Archives of Malta and Gozo:

Provided that -

(a) the National Archivist appointed in accordance with the National Archives Act shall be the ex officio curator of the notarial registers of those notaries who were Government notaries in Malta and Gozo, and of the notarial registers belonging to the Government, or which are privately owned but, for one reason or another, do not have a conservator or delegated notary or when such registers are seized for a good reason contemplated in this Act;

(b) the ex officio keeper of the deeds and registers of former notaries in the Land Department or notaries with the Lands Authority, shall be the Notary with the Lands Authority designated by the Minister responsible for notarial affairs, and where the office of Notary with the Lands Authority is vacant, the keeper of the Malta Archives shall ex officio be the keeper of the deeds and registers of former notaries in the Land Department or notaries with the Lands Authority; and

(c) the keeper of the deeds and registers of ex officio former notaries with the Housing Authority shall be the Notary Public with the Housing Authority, and where the office of Notary Public with the Housing Authority is vacant, the keeper of the Malta Archives shall be the keeper of the deeds and registers ex officio of former notaries with the Housing Authority; and

(d) the keeper of the deeds and registers of ex officio former Notaries with the Joint Office shall be the Notary in the Government Property Division or one of the Notaries Public in the Government Property Division designated by the Minister responsible for notarial affairs and where the office of Notary in the Government Property Division is vacant, the Keeper of the Malta Archives shall be the keeper of the ex officio deeds and registers of former Notaries with the Joint Office.