Questions for lawyers Found 300

I use a company-issued laptop for work in Malta, and I recently found out my employer has been monitoring all activity on it, including personal emails I occasionally checked during breaks using my own personal account. Is this legal, and did they need to tell me beforehand?

During an ongoing arbitration in Malta, I’ve become concerned that one of the appointed arbitrators has a prior professional relationship with the opposing party that was never disclosed to me. Is there a way to actually challenge or remove an arbitrator mid-process if I believe they may be biased?

Someone has come forward alleging that I committed an offence against them a number of years ago in Malta, something I genuinely don’t recall happening the way they’re describing it. Is there a time limit after which the police can no longer bring charges for old incidents, or can this be pursued no matter how much time has passed?

My spouse and I in Malta have decided we want to get divorced, and we’re on relatively amicable terms about it. I’ve heard something about having to attend mediation first before actually filing anything with the court. Is this genuinely mandatory, or can we skip straight to divorce proceedings?

I obtained a court judgment against a shipping company based in Malta through legal proceedings in another country, and I now want to actually enforce that judgment against the company’s assets in Malta. Is this something Maltese courts would actually recognise and allow?

I’ve developed a physical product with what I believe is a genuinely distinctive visual design, separate from its brand name or any technical function. I understand trademarks protect brand names and logos, but I want to know what actually protects the distinctive shape and appearance of the product itself.

I run a small creative business in Malta and I produce a lot of original content, photos, written material, and designs, myself. I want to understand whether I automatically own the copyright to everything I personally create, or whether I need to formally register something for this protection to actually exist.

I bought a set of kitchen appliances online and, as with any product, opened the box to check the item, which is undamaged and unused. I decided within a few days that I didn’t need it and want to return it under the standard 14-day right, but the seller is refusing, saying the box was opened and it can no longer be resold as new.

I started a new job in Malta with a stated six-month probation period in my contract, but on the day it was due to end, my employer told me verbally that it’s being extended by another three months, without giving any real explanation. Can they just do this unilaterally?

I’m renting a property in Malta and I’d like to take out insurance covering my personal belongings inside it, though I obviously don’t own the building itself. Is it actually possible for me to get insurance in this situation, given I’m not the property owner?