124

124. (1) In this Constitution, unless the context otherwise requires - "Act of Parliament" means any law made by Parliament; "the appointed day" means 21st September 1964; "the Cabinet" means the Cabinet established by article 79 of this Constitution; "the Commonwealth" means Malta, any country to which article 23 of this Constitution applies and any dependency of any such country; "the Consolidated Fund" means the Consolidated Fund established by article 102 of this Constitution; "Constitutional Court" means the Constitutional Court established by article 95 of this Constitution; "financial year" means the period of twelve months ending on the thirty-first day of December in any year or on such other date as may be prescribed by Parliament; "Gazette" means the Malta Government Gazette or any other official journal substituted therefor published by order of the Government of Malta; "House" means the House of Representatives established by article 51 of this Constitution; "law" includes any instrument having the force of law and any unwritten law and "lawful" and "lawfully" shall be construed accordingly; "Malta" means the Island of Malta, the Island of Gozo and the other islands of the Maltese Archipelago, including the territorial waters thereof; "oath of allegiance" means the oath of allegiance set out in the Third Schedule to this Constitution or such other oath as may be prescribed by Parliament; "Parliament" means the Parliament of Malta; Interpretation. Amended by: LVIII.1974.62 ; XXIX. 1979. 2; XVI. 1997.5. "public office" means an office of emolument in the public service; "public officer" means the holder of any public office or of a person appointed to act in any such office; "the public service" means, subject to the provisions of sub-articles (2) and (3) of this article, the service of the Government of Malta in a civil capacity; "session" means the sittings of the House of Representatives beginning when it first meets after the commencement of this Constitution or after the prorogation or dissolution of Parliament at any time and terminating when Parliament is prorogued or is dissolved without having been prorogued; ` "sitting" means a period during which the House of Represen tatives is sitting continuously without adjournment and includes any period during which the House is in committee; "the Speaker" and "Deputy Speaker" mean respectively the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker elected under article 59 of this Constitution. ( a ) a reference to an appointment to any office shall be construed as including a reference to an appointment on promotion or transfer to that office and to the appointment of a person to perform the functions of that office during any period during which it is vacant or during which the holder thereof is on vacation or unable (whether by reason of absence or infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) to perform those functions; and ( b ) a reference to the holder of an office by the term designating his office or by reference to the provision of this Constitution establishing that office shall be construed as including a reference to any person for the time being lawfully performing the functions of that office. Provided that - with this Constitution or any other law. Provided that, until such time as Parliament has made provision as aforesaid, the law applicable for the interpretation of this Constitution and otherwise in relation thereto shall be the law which was applicable for that purpose on the appointed day. SCHEDULES TO THE CONSTITUTION FIRST SCHEDULE