Mill-Kavallieri sal-Unjoni Ewropea — 500 sena ta' liġi Maltija
Charles V grants Malta to the Order. Legal system rooted in Roman law + Order's own statutes.
Grand Master Claude de la Sengle begins organizing laws.
Compilation of statutes under Grand Master Vilhena.
The most important pre-British codification. Civil, criminal, maritime, family law in Italian.
Brief French rule (1798-1800). Revolutionary laws introduced.
Start of British rule. Legal system gradually Anglicised but retains Roman-law core.
Formally a British territory.
Sir Adriano Dingli drafts Malta's first modern criminal code.
Civil Code (Cap. 16) — still the foundation of civil law today.
Commercial law codified.
Amery-Milner Constitution grants limited self-government.
Restored self-government after WWII. Universal suffrage introduced.
21 September 1964. Malta Independence Order establishes the current constitutional framework.
13 December 1974. Constitutional amendments transform Malta into a Republic.
Malta's neutrality enshrined in the Constitution.
1 May 2004. EU law becomes directly applicable. Acquis communautaire incorporated.
1 January 2008. Malta joins the Eurozone.
Divorce legalized following referendum.
Same-sex civil unions recognized.
Same-sex marriage legalized.
Personal cannabis use decriminalized.