Questions for lawyers Found 20

Police came to my apartment in Malta and wanted to search it in connection with an investigation, but they did not show me any written warrant, just said they had ‘authority’ to enter. Is this legal, and what should I have done in that moment?

I was recently found guilty of an offence by the Court of Magistrates in Malta and I believe the court made a significant error in how it interpreted the evidence against me. I want to appeal but I’m not sure how much time I have or what the actual process looks like.

I made some posts online, from outside Malta, that a person in Malta is now claiming were defamatory or harassing towards them. I wasn’t physically in the country when I posted them. Can Maltese law actually reach me for something I did while I was abroad?

I was stopped and found to be carrying what I would describe as a small personal-use quantity of cannabis in Malta. I’ve heard Malta has changed its laws around cannabis in recent years but I’m not entirely clear on where the actual legal line is now. Am I facing a criminal charge for this?

I’m facing what feels like several separate charges arising from a single incident I was involved in Malta, and I don’t understand how one event can lead to multiple distinct charges rather than just one. Is this normal, or does it seem like the charges are being unfairly stacked against me?

I have a family member who was arrested in Malta and is currently being held at a police station. Nobody in the family really understands how long the police are legally allowed to keep someone in custody before they either have to charge him or bring him before a court. Can you clarify the actual time limits?

I secretly recorded a conversation with someone in Malta because I felt I needed evidence of what they were saying to me, without telling them I was recording. Now I’m worried I may have actually broken the law myself by doing this. Is covert recording a criminal offence here?

Someone filed a police report against me in Malta over what I believe was a minor personal dispute, but they’ve now told me directly they want to withdraw the complaint and don’t want to pursue it further. Does that automatically mean the whole matter goes away?

I’ve been feeling unsafe walking home late at night in Malta and I’m considering carrying a small can of pepper spray for personal protection. I want to make sure I’m not accidentally breaking the law by doing this before I actually buy one.

I keep hearing different court names mentioned in relation to a criminal matter involving someone I know in Malta, sometimes the Court of Magistrates and sometimes the Criminal Court. Are these the same thing, or does it matter which one is actually handling the case?