6 CAP. 9.] Title. l. CRIMINAL CODE The title of this Code is Criminal Code. PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS Classification of offences. Amended by: XI. 1900.1. Actions arising from an offence. Amended by: VI.1871.1. 2. Offences are divided into crimes and contraventions. 3. (1) action. Every offence gives rise to a criminal action and a civil (2) The criminal action is prosecuted before the courts of criminal jurisdiction, and the punishment of the offender is thereby demanded. (3) The civil action is prosecuted before the courts of civil jurisdiction, and compensation for the damage caused by the offence is thereby demanded. Nature of criminal action. Amended by: L.N. 46 of 1965; LVIII. 1974.68; XXVII. 1975.2; III. 2002.2. 4. (1) The criminal action is essentially a public action and is vested in the State and is prosecuted in the name of the Republic of Malta, through the Executive Police or the Attorney General, as the case may be, according to law. Prosecution. (2) A criminal action is prosecuted ex officio in all cases where the complaint of the private party is not requisite to set the action in motion or where the law does not expressly leave the prosecution of the action to a private party. Persons subject to prosecution. Amended by: VI.1899.1; XI.1899.107; I.1903.1; XXXI.1966.2; XXXIII.1972.2; XI.1973.377; XXIV.1975.2; XXIX. 1990.2; XVII. 1996.19; III. 2002.3; XIII. 2002.10; XXIV. 2002.13; XXIV. 2014.3. 5. (1) Saving any other special provision of this Code or of any other law conferring jurisdiction upon the courts in Malta to try offences, a criminal action may be prosecuted in Malta (a) against any person who commits an offence in Malta, or on the sea in any place within the territorial jurisdiction of Malta; (b) against any person who commits an offence on the sea beyond such limits on board any ship or vessel belonging to Malta; (c) against any person who commits an offence on board any aircraft while it is within the air space of Malta or on board any aircraft belonging to Malta wherever it may be; For the purposes of this paragraph the expression "air space" means the air space above the land areas and territorial waters of Malta; (d) without prejudice to the preceding paragraphs of this subarticle, against any citizen of Malta or permanent resident in Malta who in any place or on board any ship or vessel or on board any aircraft wherever it may be shall have become guilty of the offences mentioned in article 54A or of an offence against the safety of the Government or of the offences mentioned in articles 133, 139A, or of the offences mentioned in articles 311 to 318 and in article 320 when these are committed or