In 1985, this figure had increased to 95 and, in 1995, to 333. This means that between 1985 and 2003, the number of civil marriages in Malta increased by over 800 per cent. And, between 2002 and 2003, the number of civil marriages which took place in Malta increased by 241 to 785.

The acting director of the Public Registry, Carmel Mifsud, said that in 2003, there were 408 marriages of foreigners who decided to tie the knot in Malta. Of these, 363 were civil marriages while 45 took place through a religious ceremony.

Mr Mifsud was speaking during the launch of the Quality Service Charter for the Marriage Registry. Through this charter, the registry aims to improve the services it provides to the public.

Receiving the charter, Justice Minister Tonio Borg expressed his satisfaction that the Marriage Registry was introducing the charter, which is the ninth being introduced by a department that falls under the jurisdiction of the Justice Ministry.

Dr Borg also spoke about marriages of convenience, adding that the law now made this a criminal offence which can be punished by a jail term. Just like a marriage, this charter is a contract with the public in which it is being promised that the service provided will meet certain standards, he said.