For background screening professionals and international researchers, verifying civil litigation history in Malta requires navigating a dual system: an online portal with clear access limits, backed by physical court registries for full-file inspection.
Online Access via eCourts (ecourts.gov.mt)
- Published Final Judgments: Civil court judgments are searchable and viewable free of charge via the eCourts portal. However, coverage is limited—Family Court rulings and cases sealed by judicial order are excluded from online publishing.
- Pending Case Restrictions: The portal does not allow open third-party indexing of ongoing litigation. Active filings, dockets, and pending case acts are restricted online strictly to the named parties and their legal counsel via Maltese e-ID login ("My Civil Cases" / "My Acts").
On-the-Ground Retrieval & Archival Access
- Physical Registry Inspection: Because open active case files cannot be audited online by third-party researchers, pending litigation checks or detailed file inspections require on-site access. Independent researchers or non-parties can inspect physical records or request certified true copies directly at the Court Registry in Valletta or the Gozo Courts Registry upon payment of administrative fees.
- Closed/Terminated Acts: Soft or hard copies of archived, terminated judicial acts can be requested through official online archive forms, provided the specific case reference numbers and index details are known in advance.
Key Screening Takeaway: While final civil judgments in Malta offer decent online coverage, comprehensive due diligence—especially on pending litigation or unadjudicated claims—still depends on physical registry searches at the courthouse level.