ÿWPC[ Õ!‰þ6BÛ™å¡ÎXÕ €\&À-ÃL-Gíùn”ª ÕS` OQ#z¦“î™ÝZ–×综ÊÚ„ !øç½½Áû:¢ïÎÚv“ÙK¿­ÝcðØîRóQŠ;›¯êˆÈ7C)Vâñ‹’…=2N´†½K% -Gð`ZèømÁùàòÂR¡ü‚ùH¬ülª½å%;òôð6@ôžàá¹5zZÊ–à]ÓÈ›×2ÆõïBŸ5 ÞäÛ»þM:ý0æà4V""o´òПäÄ’OæâxÿýЖ[.‘%¾ÍÞÁtÏæJ£?ùB_«^¯á}Ë©gZc²ÈÁÅku¼8Q ]T˜~|_&íü¬8¦O{a`œÎ´¨m¬6áßËò ƒŠEä'EòÚåÿf^ZÐõKïjyÙðú £YƒR}MõE #²qOÍ„>Ïý:8ñ£z ÇÚ…§þRúm äþ>ŒÆ ¤0riü"æx̤Vìë~ÖoId 9jã>gu)9«(ŽVÜŠA[Ì ˆ?Švh:ª„’élH~v×ú!díÜ1©Ñ(¬^6i2½»è]¾{@ofÎ0ä¯Ú¥´Ö>‹» ú/’mžV1Ü´›Øu #Á¶UNw %Å 0:Ë^ w4)8 m:QNY˜HP LaserJet 4000 Series PSÈÙØÙÙØÈÙ0&Öd9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX(ûœ$¡¡ÔUKUS.,ÔF˜h, ×~f,Pïž3|xÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ Ý ƒûœ!ÝÔUKUS.,ÔÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÓ  ÓÔ€¼g¸»XXÔò òMALTAó óÐ ° ÐÌÌÓ  ÓÔ€X>fX»¼g¸Ôò òÔ_ÔCCPRÔ_Ô€€A/49/40€Ô_Ô(1994)ó óÔ_ÔÐ á1 ÐÌÌÓ  Ó117.€€The€Committee€considered€the€initial€report€of€Malta€(Ô_ÔCCPRÔ_Ô/C/68/Add.4)€at€its€1283òòrdóó€andÐ  í Ð1287òòthóó€meetings,€held€on€1€and€3€November€1993,€and€adopted€òò24óó/€€the€following€comments:Ð † Ö ÐÌòòIntroductionóóÐ X ¨  ÐÌ118.€€The€Committee€welcomes€the€State€party's€initial€report€and€the€constructive€manner€in€whichÐ *z  Ðthe€dialogue€with€the€Committee€has€been€engaged.€€It€notes€that€the€information€submitted€in€theÐ c  Ðreport€and€that€provided€orally€by€the€delegation,€both€in€its€introductory€statement€and€in€theÐ üL  Ðcomprehensive€and€detailed€replies€to€oral€questions,€enabled€the€Committee€to€obtain€a€clear€pictureÐ å5  Ðof€Malta's€actual€compliance€with€the€obligations€undertaken€under€the€International€Covenant€onÐ Î ÐCivil€and€Political€Rights.€€The€Committee,€however,€regrets€that€the€report€deals€mainly€withÐ · Ðconstitutional€provisions€and€contains€little€information€about€the€practical€application€of€theÐ  ð Ðprovisions€of€the€Covenant.Ð ‰Ù ÐÌòòFactors€and€difficulties€affecting€the€application€of€the€CovenantóóÐ [« ÐÌ119.€€The€Committee€notes€that€there€are€no€indications€in€the€report€or€in€the€oral€submission€onÐ -} Ðthe€factors€or€difficulties€which€may€impede€the€effective€implementation€of€the€Covenant'sÐ f Ðprovisions.Ð ÿO ÐÌòòPositive€aspectsóóÐ Ñ! ÐÌ120.€€The€Committee€notes€the€efforts€undertaken€by€the€Government€of€Malta€in€order€to€guaranteeÐ £ó Ðeffectively€the€protection€of€civil€and€political€rights.€€Chapter€IV€of€the€national€ConstitutionÐ ŒÜ Ðprovides€an€appropriate€basis€for€the€effective€protection€of€most€of€the€human€rights€contained€inÐ u Å Ðthe€Covenant.Ð ^!® ÐÌ121.€€The€recent€adoption€by€Parliament€of€a€number€of€legal€measures,€such€as€the€Local€CouncilÐ 0#€! ÐAct,€the€proposed€review€of€the€Civil€Code€in€order€better€to€ensure€the€equality€of€children€born€outÐ $i" Ðof€wedlock€and€to€promote€the€equality€of€sexes€and€the€proposed€revision€of€the€Investigation€ofÐ %R # ÐInjustices€Act,€the€forthcoming€consideration€by€Parliament€of€a€draft€Data€Protection€Act€andÐ ë%;!$ ÐInformation€Practices€Act,€indicate€the€commitment€of€the€Government€of€Malta€to€bring€its€nationalÐ Ô&$"% Ðlegislation€into€line€with€the€Covenant.Ð ½' #& ÐÌ122.€€The€Committee€notes€with€satisfaction€that,€in€1990,€Malta€acceded€to€the€first€OptionalÐ )ß$( ÐProtocol€at€the€same€time€as€it€acceded€to€the€Covenant.Ð x*È%) ÐÌ___________Ð J,š'+ ÐÓ-°‚XÜž` ˜X°œX-Óà Ü àòò24óó/€à ž àAt€its€1289th€meeting€(forty„ninth€session),€held€on€4€November€1993.Ð 3-ƒ(, ÐÔ_ÔòòÌÌPrincipal€subjects€of€concernóóÐ ‚Ò ÐÌ123.€€The€Committee€is€concerned€at€the€fact€that€the€Covenant,€unlike€the€European€ConventionÐ T¤ Ðfor€the€Protection€of€Human€Rights€and€Fundamental€Freedoms,€has€not€yet€been€incorporated€intoÐ =  Ðthe€national€legal€order.€€The€Committee€also€expresses€concern€over€the€status€of€the€CovenantÐ & v Ðwithin€the€legal€system€of€Malta€and€the€lack€of€clarity€concerning€the€resolution€of€eventualÐ  _ Ðconflicts€between€the€Covenant€and€domestic€legislation.Ð ø H ÐÌ124.€€In€this€connection,€the€Committee€recalls€that,€in€accordance€with€article€2,€paragraph€2,€of€theÐ Ê   ÐCovenant,€each€State€party€to€the€Covenant€undertakes€to€take€the€necessary€steps€to€adopt€suchÐ ³  Ðlegislative€or€other€measures€as€may€be€necessary€to€give€effect€to€the€rights€recognized€in€theÐ œì  ÐCovenant.Ð …Õ  ÐÌ125.€€The€Committee€also€expresses€concern€over€the€apparent€preference€accorded,€in€the€domesticÐ W§  Ðlaw€as€well€as€in€legal€doctrine€and€jurisprudence,€to€the€European€Convention€for€the€ProtectionÐ @ Ðof€Human€Rights€and€Fundamental€Freedoms€as€against€the€International€Covenant€on€Civil€andÐ )y ÐPolitical€Rights.€€In€that€regard,€the€attention€of€the€State€party€is€drawn€to€the€fact€that€the€latterÐ b Ðguarantees€a€number€of€human€rights€not€protected€under€the€former€and€that€permissible€restrictionsÐ ûK Ðare€less€broad-based.Ð ä4 ÐÌ126.€€The€Committee€notes€that€the€reservations€entered€by€Malta€upon€ratification€of€the€CovenantÐ ¶ Ðwith€respect€to€a€number€of€provisions€have€an€adverse€effect€on€the€effective€implementation€of€theÐ Ÿï ÐCovenant.€No€convincing€reasons€have€been€offered€for€the€reservations€to€articles€13€and€14,Ð ˆØ Ðparagraph€6.€€Additionally,€given€the€actual€situation€of€human€rights€protection€in€Malta,€someÐ qÁ Ðreservations€may€now€have€become€obsolete.Ð Zª ÐÌ127.€€The€Committee€further€notes€that€certain€requirements€of€the€Covenant,€such€as€those€referredÐ ,| Ðto€in€articles€9,€paragraph€3,€and€26,€are€not€fully€met.€€In€that€connection,€the€attention€of€the€StateÐ e Ðparty€is€drawn€to€the€pertinent€General€Comments€adopted€by€the€Committee€as€well€as€to€theÐ þN ÐCommittee's€jurisprudence€under€the€Optional€Protocol.Ð ç 7 ÐÌòòSuggestions€and€recommendationsóóÐ ¹" ! ÐÌ128.€€The€Committee€recommends€that€the€State€party€take€appropriate€measures€to€incorporate€theÐ ‹$Û# Ðsubstantive€provisions€of€the€Covenant€into€domestic€law€and€ensure€that€the€restrictions€imposedÐ t%Ä $ Ðunder€domestic€law€do€not€go€beyond€those€permissible€under€the€Covenant.Ð ]&­!% ÐÌ129.€€The€Committee€also€recommends€that€the€Government€review,€with€a€view€to€withdrawing,Ð /(#' Ðthe€reservations€made€upon€ratification€of€the€Covenant,€particularly€those€concerning€articles€13Ð )h$( Ðand€14€of€the€Covenant.Ð *Q%) ÐÌ130.€€The€Committee€expresses€the€hope€that€the€Government€of€Malta€will€consider€ratifying€theÐ Ó+#'+ ÐSecond€Optional€Protocol€to€the€Covenant€aiming€at€the€abolition€of€the€death€penalty.Ð ¼, (, ÐÐ ¥-õ(- Ð131.€€The€Committee€emphasizes€that€further€measures€should€be€taken€to€ensure€that€the€provisionsÐ ° Ðof€the€Covenant€be€made€more€widely€known,€particularly€among€the€legal€profession,€members€ofÐ ™é Ðthe€judiciary€and€administrative€authorities.€€The€general€public€should€also€be€adequately€informedÐ ‚Ò Ðof€the€provisions€of€the€Covenant€and€those€contained€in€the€Optional€Protocol.