Announcements
Academy Documents
Kindly access the Students' Policies & Forms by clicking on the button below. The following documents, among others, can be found there: Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, Students' Privacy Notice, Deferral, Suspension, and Cancellation Policy, Assignment Extension Policy, Re-Sit Policy, Complaints Procedure Policy, Equality Policy, and Student Disciplinary Policy.
Online Sessions Link
To join the online sessions for this module, please click on the button below. If you are not already signed in to your Zoom account, you will be prompted to register your attendance. You will also need to enter the password provided below.
Meeting ID: 869 8269 0112
Passcode: 246295
Please ensure that your name and surname appear as registered for the study programme, as this is essential for recording your attendance.
Lecture Schedule & Notes
Lecture notes will be available during the week following the respective lecture. Schedule dates are indicative and may change. All changes, if any, may be communicated via email, SMS or telephone calls.
| Lecture | Date | Time | Presentation | Notes (If Any) | Session Recording |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture 01 | 13 January 2026 | 17:30 to 20:00hrs | Presentation 01 | Request | |
| Lecture 02 | 20 January 2026 | 17:30 to 20:00hrs | Presentation 02 | Request | |
| Lecture 03 | 27 January 2026 | 17:30 to 20:00hrs | Presentation 03 | Request | |
| Lecture 04 | 3 February 2026 | 17:30 to 20:00hrs | Presentation 04 | Request | |
| Oral Exam Session 01 | 12 February 2026 | 17:30 to 20:30hrs | |||
| Oral Exam Session 02 | 19 February 2026 | 17:30 to 20:30hrs |
Lecturer/s
Lecture Summaries & Suggested Reading
Lecture 1 - Sources of Employment law and Overview of the Employment and Industrial Relations Act -
Following this session students will be learn:
- Main Sources of Employment Law
- The EU influence
- Local Case Law
- Employment Relationship
- Entitlements
- Work life balance for parents and carers regulation
- Transparent and predictable working conditions
- Transfer of business
- Article 41 EIRA – Certificate of Service and Article 42 EIRA – Conditions less favourable
- Enforcement and penalties
- Dispute resolution
- Trade unions and employers’ associations
- Industrial tribunal
Core Reading List
- Employment and Industrial Relations Act, Ch, 452 Laws of Malta
- The Occupational Health and Safety Act, Ch. 424 of the Laws of Malta
- The Employment and Training Services Act, (Ch. 594 of the Laws of Malta
- The Data Protection Act, Ch. 586 of the Laws of Malta
- Aylott, E., n.d. Employment Law: A Practical Introduction
Supplementary Reading List
- Smith, P., Hodges, A., Stabile, S. and Gely, R., 2009. Principles Of Employment Law. 1st ed.
- Painter, R. and Holmes, A., n.d. Cases And Materials On Employment Law. Industrial Tribunal awards and decisions
- Craig, P., de Burca, G. (2020) EU Law - Text, Cases and Materials (7th Edn.). Oxford University Press.
- Baldacchino, G., Rizzo, S. and Zammit, E. (2003) Evolving Industrial Relations in Malta. Luqa, Malta: Agenda.
Lecture 2 - Employment Status and the Contract of Employment
Following this session students will learn:
- Definition of an Employment Contract
- General Principles of Contract Law
- Types of Employment Contract
- Employment Contract Clauses
- Employee Status and Criteria
Core Reading List
- Employment and Industrial Relations Act, Ch, 452 Laws of Malta
- Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Regulations (S.L. 452.126 of the Laws of Malta)
- Organisation of Working Time Regulations (S.L. 452.87 of the Laws of Malta)
- Contracts of Service for a Fixed Term Regulations (S.L. 452.81 of the Laws of Malta)
- Wholesale and Retail Trades Wages Council Wage Regulation Order (S.L. 452.63) – to be read by way of example
- Greenland, C., n.d. The Collective Agreement In Maltese Industrial Relations
Supplementary Reading List
- Spiteri, L., ‘The Contract of Employment: A European and Maltese Perspective’ (2020). University of Malta.
- Farrugia, I. Carl., ‘The Contract of Employment in Relation to General Contract Law’ (2014). University of Malta.
- Emir, A., ‘Selwyn’s Law of Employment’ (2022), Part 2 – The Contract of Employment. Oxford University Press.
Lecture 3 - Equality, Diversity and Discrimination - Dr. Clyde Bonnici
Following this session students will learn to:
- European Convention on Human Rights
- Maltese Constitution
- Human Rights vs Private Persons
- Anti-discrimination under certain laws – The Criminal Code, Equality for Men and Women Act
- Anti-discrimination under EIRA - Article 26, Exceptions.
- Case Law – Important Principles
- Remedies
- Various Subsidiary Legislation under EIRA
- Equal Treatment in Employment Regulations
- Equal Pay for Equal Work
Core Reading List
- Employment and Industrial Relations Act, Ch, 452 Laws of Malta
- The Equality for Men and Women Act, Ch 456 of the Laws of Malta
- Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disabilities) Act, Ch 413 of the Laws of Malta
- Equal Treatment in Employment Regulations (S.L. 452.95 of the Laws of Malta)
- Equal Treatment of Persons Order (S.L. 460.15 of the Laws of Malta)
Supplementary Reading List
- Emir, A., Selwyn’s Law of Employment, 22nd edn., Oxford University Press
- Aylott, E., n.d. Employment Law: A Practical Introduction
- Greenland, C., n.d. The Collective Agreement In Maltese Industrial Relations
- Smith, P., Hodges, A., Stabile, S. and Gely, R., 2009. Principles Of Employment Law. 1st ed.
- Painter, R. and Holmes, A., n.d. Cases And Materials On Employment Law
- Industrial Tribunal awards and decisions (including but not limited to, Olivia Ann Camilleri v HSBC Bank Malta plc, 2022; Mildred Marmarà, Yvonne Penza v The Nuance Group (Malta) Ltd, 2022; Kenneth Abela v Engineering Resources Ltd, 2022)
Lecture 4 - Termination of Employment
Following this session students will learn:
- Reasons for Termination – termination during probation, termination by expiry of fixed term contract, termination by resignation, termination by retirement, termination by redundancy, termination by constructive dismissal.
- Collective Redundancies
- Dismissal – not a good and sufficient cause
- Disciplinary Procedures
- Industrial Tribunal – unfair dismissal
Core Reading List
Supplementary Reading List
- Emir, A., Selwyn’s Law of Employment, 22nd edn., Oxford University Press
- Aylott, E., n.d. Employment Law: A Practical Introduction
- Greenland, C., n.d. The Collective Agreement In Maltese Industrial Relations
- Smith, P., Hodges, A., Stabile, S. and Gely, R., 2009. Principles Of Employment Law. 1st ed.
- Painter, R. and Holmes, A., n.d. Cases And Materials On Employment Law
- Industrial Tribunal awards and decisions (including but not limited to, Connie Ciantar v Mario Attard pro et noe, 2021; Michelle Zammit v Gutenberg Press Ltd, 2023)
Methods of Assessment
1 Essay 75% of final score
Oral Examination 25% of final score
Assignment
You are required to choose one of the two questions available in the Assignment Submission Form made available by clicking the button below. The assignment must be submitted no later than Thursday, 30 April 2026, along with the Assignment Submission Form. Please ensure that you indicate the question you have addressed on the Assignment Submission Form.
For guidance on how to plan, draft, and submit your assignment, please refer to the 21 Academy presentation on Writing and Submitting Your Assignment by clicking the button below.
Writing and Submitting Your Assignment
We are also providing the 21 Academy's Assignments Rubric for your reference. This rubric is a performance-based assessment tool that tutors will use for grading, and it will help you understand the requirements of the assignment and how it will be assessed.
For referencing purposes, please use the OSCOLA Referencing Guide available by clicking the button below.
Submitting Assignment - Turnitin
The Academy will notify you via email when the assignment questions become available. Shortly after, you will receive another email from Turnitin, likely on the same day, confirming your enrolment in a "class" where you can upload your assignment(s).
Please ensure that your assignments are submitted no later than 23:59 on the assignment submission deadline, as indicated on the Assignment Submission form or in the Turnitin "class."
At 21 Academy, you have the option to submit multiple drafts before the final submission deadline. The version uploaded at the deadline will be treated as your final submission for assessment. Please note that Turnitin evaluates the same assignment twice within a 24-hour period, so any additional submissions during this time will not be reviewed until the 24-hour period has passed. Ensure that your final submission does not exceed 20% similarity, particularly when using direct quotations.
Follow this very short video to understand how to submit your assignment through Turnitin
To understand the similarity report generated by Turnitin follow this 1 minute video
Understanding the Similarity Report
Oral Examination
The date and time of the oral examination will be agreed upon between the examiner and the student, but this will be expected to take place within a fortnight after the last session of the module has been delivered.
Examiners are provided with the 21 Academy's Oral Examination Rubric Notes to Examiners which is also made available to the students sitting for an oral examination so that they can understand better what to expect during the examination. Scoring during the oral examination is carried out on the 21 Academy's Oral Examination Rubric in accordance with the Oral Examination Rubric Notes to Examiners.
Oral Examination Questions
Each student will be allocated a 15-minute oral examination slot. During this time, the examiners will ask two questions selected from a list of ten questions that have been disclosed in advance. In addition to these two main questions, the examiners may ask follow-up questions related to the same subject areas in order to explore your understanding in greater depth.
The full list of the ten possible questions is available to download by clicking the button below.
You will be examined on any two of these, so you are expected to prepare for all ten.
You should be ready to answer each question clearly and in sufficient depth, and to expand on your responses, explain your reasoning, and clarify points if prompted. The oral examination is designed to assess understanding and the ability to discuss the topics, not the recitation of memorised answers. Preparing structured, concise oral responses and practising discussing the material aloud is strongly recommended.
Oral Examination Schedule & Links
Session 01 - 12 January 2026
Meeting ID: 820 3417 8228
Passcode: 503825
Session 02 - 19 February 2026
Meeting ID: 820 3417 8228
Passcode: 503825
Referencing Style
Law students should use the OSCOLA referencing style as it is the standard citation system for legal writing in Malta. It ensures consistency, accuracy, and clarity when referencing legal sources, which is essential for academic and professional work. The video below provides detailed guidance on how to reference using OSCOLA. Please also refer to the OSCOLA Referencing Guide by clicking the button below