Well, it finally happened. On the 21st January 2022 the Malta's Chief Herald finally became legitimate and actually now has some legal powers to act.
I am, needless to say, delighted that, after being dragged kicking and screaming, Parliament has, at long last (two years I believe), finally granted some lawful authority to Heritage Malta and its Chief Herald. I shall peruse the legislation at my leisure however, to date, I have resisted commenting because, in the only detailed grant I have seen, in that instance at least, the new armiger was Maltese (although in that grant, which may pre-date his authority, he relies still on the unlawful Gazette entry as his authority).
I just hope that the Chief Herald doesn't get his fingers burned by trying to recognise "foreign" titles and nobility. I shall maintain the watching brief but merely as one of the many interested bystanders.
The full document can be found here: https://legislation.mt/eli/sl/445.7/eng
PS I do like this bit:
(5) For the purposes of sub-regulation (4), the Chief Heraldshall by the 31st of January of every year cause to be made available at a publicly accessible website on the internet of the Office or the Agency and published in the Gazette a notice containing the following:(a) a list of all the Letters Patent issued during the previous basis year indicating the particulars of the individual orbody corporate in whose favour the Letters Patent has been issued, the date of grant and a blazon of the arms so granted; and(b) a list of all the Certificates of Registrations issued during the previous basis year indicating the particulars of theindividual or body corporate in whose favour the Certificate of Registration has been issued, the date of grant and a blazon of the arms so registered.
