Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 234), article 55

55. (1) The Minister may make regulations enabling him to refuse the registry of any ship by the name by which it is proposed to register that ship if it is already the name of a registered Maltese ship or a name so similar as to be calculated to deceive, and may by those regulations require notice to be given in such manner as may be directed by the regulations before the name of the ship is marked on the ship, or before the name of the ship is entered in the register. (2) If the registry of a ship by the name by which it is proposed to register that ship is refused by the Registrar-General, or if any requirements of the regulations are not complied with in the case of any ship which it is proposed to register, that ship shall not be registered under the name proposed, or until the regulations are complied with, as the case may be. (3) The owner of a ship intending to register a ship under this Act, may, on payment of such fee as may be prescribed and on application to the registrar, reserve the proposed name of the ship for a maximum period of twelve months. (4) The application referred to in sub-article (3) may be made together with the application for registry of a ship, or with the application for permission to change the name of a ship, or by any other writing provided that the ship for which the reservation is being made is adequately identified. Rules as to name of ship.  Amended by:  XIII. 1983.5; XXXVII.1988.4; 29; XXII. 2000. 2, 38; I.2025.31.