Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 190

190. (1) An official log shall be kept in every Maltese ship, other than a ship employed solely in navigation on the coasts o f Malta, in the appropriate form for that ship approved by the Registrar-General. M E R C H A N T S H I P P I N G [CAP. 234. 97 (2) The Registrar-General shall approve forms of official log books, which may be different for different classes of ships, s o that each such form shall contain prope r spaces for the entries requ ired by this Act. (3) The official log may, at the discretion of the master, or owner or bareboat charterer, be kept distinct from, or united w ith, the ordinary ship’s log, so that in all cases the spaces in the official log book shall be duly filled up. (4) An entry required by this Act in an official log book shall be made as soon as possible after the occurrence to which it re lates, and if not made on the same day as that occurrence shall be mad e and dated so as to show the date of the occurrence and of the e ntry respecting it; and if made in res pect of an occurrence happenin g before the arrival of the ship a t her final port of discharge s hall not be made more than twenty-four hours after that arrival. (5) Every entry in the official log book shall be signed by the master and by the mate or some other member of the crew, and also- (a) if it is an entry of illness, injury or death, shall be signed by the surgeon or medical practitioner on board, if any; and (b) if it is an entry of wages due to, or of the effects of, a seaman or apprentice who dies, shall be signed by the mate and by some member of the crew besides the master. (6) All entries made in an offici al log book in manner provided by this Act shall, until the contrary is proved, be evidence of their contents, provided the authenti city of the lo g book is proved. Entries required in official log book.