Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 289

289. (1) Where any dangerous goods have been sent or carried, or attempted to be sent or carried, on board any vesse l whether Maltese or foreign, without being marked, or without su ch notice being given, as provided in article 286, or under a fals e description, or with a false des cription of the sender or carri er thereof, any court taking cognizance of any offence in relation to those goods, or the Civil Court, First Hall, at the instance of the Minister by way of application, may declare those goods, and an y package or receptacle in which they are contained, to be, and t hey shall thereupon be, forfeited, and when forfeited shall be disp osed of as the court directs. (2) The court shall have, and may exercise, the aforesaid powers of forfeiture and disposal notwithstanding that the owne r of the goods has not committed any offence relating to dangerous goods, and is not before that cou rt, and has no notice of the proceedings and notwithstanding that there is no evidence to sh ow to whom the goods belong; but the court may, in its discretion, require such notice as it may direct to be given to the owner o r shipper of the goods before they are forfeited. Carriage of grain. Amended by:  XIII. 1983.5; XXII. 2000.2; I.2025.83.