Preliminary note

Under Maltese law, a person can only exercise the profession of advocate if he or she has a warrant granted by the president of Malta. A person is only entitled to obtain this warrant if he is of good conduct and good morals; is a citizen of Malta or of a Member State of the European Union or is otherwise permitted to work in Malta under any law; has obtained the academic degree of doctor of law from the University of Malta or a comparable degree from another competent authority, having studied law in Malta or in a Member State; has regularly attended, for a period of not less than one year, at the office of a practising advocate of the Bar of Malta, and at the sittings of the superior courts; possesses a full knowledge of the Maltese language which is the language of the courts; and has been duly examined and approved by two judges who shall issue a certificate attesting that they have found him to possess the qualifications above-mentioned and that he is competent to exercise the profession of advocate in the courts of Malta.