MOTOR DRIVERS’ LICENSES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 137, 24 May 1928, Page 3

MOTOR DRIVERS’ LICENSES

ANNUAL RENEWAL REQUIRED MAGISTRATE’S RESERVED DECISION. (Per Press Association.] Invercargill, May 23. Mr. G. Cruicnsliank, S.ivL, in a reserved decision, upheld the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act where they applied to the renewal of licenses, and entered a conviction against an offending motorist. The defence raised was that the license lasted indefinitely and did not require renewal. The Magistrate said that up till December, 1927, the law was definite that all licenses expired on March 31 each year. To make the change over to May 31, the words about, ending in March were repealed. The whole scheme of the Act and regulations in many places showed that an annual renewal was required. It rested with the defendant to show that by amending tlie Act the period of license which he held had been ex. tended until now. In support of this defendant said the words “shall remain in force till March next” were repealed. To say that a license which was lawfully issued for the year ending on March '3l was now indefinitely extended, because the words saying that all licenses shall end in March were now struck out of the Act, was, to the Magistrate’s mind, an unsound proposition. To so extend such a license required very definite words in the Statute.