Accountancy Profession Act (Cap. 281)
Accountancy Profession Act (Cap. 281), article 14
14. (1) In the case of a breach of any rules under this Act or
any regulations or directives issued under it, the Board shall have
the power to issue administrative fines and reprimands, and to take
such other measures as it may deem appropriate according to the
circumstances of the case.
(2) The Board shall have the power to take and, or impose at
least the following administrative measures and sanctions for
breaches of the provisions of the rules under this Act and, where
applicable, the Audit Regulation:
(a) a notice requiring the natural or legal person
responsible for the breach to cease the conduct and to
abstain from any repetition of that conduct;
(b) a public statement which indicates the person
responsible and the nature of the breach, published on
the website of the Board;
(c) a temporary prohibition, of up to three years’ duration,
banning the statutory auditor, the audit firm or the key
audit partner from carrying out statutory audits and, or
signing audit reports;
Cap. 386.
(d) a declaration that the audit report does not meet the
requirements of article 179A of the Companies Act or,
where applicable, article 179B of that Act;
(e) a temporary prohibition, of up to three years’ duration,
banning a member of an audit firm from exercising
functions in audit firms or public-interest entities;
(f) the imposition of administrative pecuniary sanctions
on natural and legal persons.
(3) When determining the type and level of administrative
sanctions and measures mentioned in sub-article (1), article 7( 17)
and article 15, the Board and, or the disciplinary committees
appointed in terms of article 7(16) shall take into account all
relevant circumstances, including where appropriate:
(a) the gravity and the duration of the breach;
(b) the degree of responsibility of the responsible person;
(c) the financial strength of the responsible person, for
24 CAP. 281.] ACCOUNTANCY PROFESSION
example as indicated by the total turnover of the
responsible undertaking or the annual income of the
responsible person, if that person is a natural person;
(d) the amounts of the profits gained or losses avoided by
the responsible person, in so far as they can be
determined;
(e) the level of cooperation of the responsible person with
the Board;
(f) previous breaches by the responsible legal or natural
person.
Additional factors may be taken into account by the Board
and, or the disciplinary committees appointed in terms of artic le
7(16) where such factors are specified in a legal provision,
regulation or Directive.
Suspension,
cancellation, etc.,
of warrants,
registration of
firm.
Amended by:
XIV . 2003.14.
Substituted by:
IX. 2008.56.
Amended by:
III. 2009.7;
XXIII. 2009.37;
XXXVI. 2016.12;
XXI of 2020.
Text read from the consolidated PDF published by Legislation Malta. Tables, figures and marginal notes may be incomplete or out of place: the official PDF is authoritative. General information, not legal, tax or accounting advice.