ABSTRACT
The protection and conservation of Malta’s cultural heritage is governed by a number of institutions and a set of legal instruments some of which date back to 1925. In effect, the history of heritage protection legislation of the Maltese islands does not span more than 90 years. During this time, the enactment and amendment of legal instruments took place in stages that were very much isolated in time. Due to this, legislation often became isolated from contemporary developments in other socio-economic sectors. It is for this reason that the government of Malta is currently reviewing all heritage protection legislation with a view to enacting new legal instruments and establishing new operational frameworks. It is envisaged that a new heritage act for the Maltese islands will be submitted to cabinet during the year 2000.
