Cap. 55 Art. 20Notaries delegate.

(1) Notaries delegate are those whom the said court appoints for the temporary custody of the deeds and registers of a notary during his absence from Malta, or of a notary who is unable to exercise his functions on account of illness, temporary suspension, incapacitation or interdiction or of any other temporary impediment, and for giving out copies and extracts of or from such deeds, or issue the declaration in terms of the proviso to article 68(2), or merely for giving out copies or extracts of or from the deeds and registers or issue the said declaration in cases where the notary has, without just cause, refused to give out such copies or extracts or issue such declarations.

(2) The court may, if it deems it expedient in case of suspension, incapacitation or temporary interdiction of a notary, leave to him the custody of the deeds and registers, and appoint a delegate for giving out copies thereof or extracts therefrom:

Provided that a Court may appoint a notary delegate for the purposes of this article for any number of absences of the said notary from Malta during his lifetime, or for one continuous period of absence not exceeding seven (7) years:

Provided further that the Chief Notary to Government or the President of the Notarial Council may by application to the Court, request the appointment of such notary delegate in the circumstances mentioned in the immediately preceding proviso or in the case of incapacity, inability or death of a notary.