LAW REFORM BILL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 236, 18 September 1936, Page 8

LAW REFORM BILL

Damages Claims in Accident Cases MEASURE PASSED By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 17. Tho Hon. 11. G, R. Mason moved the committal of the Law Reform Bill in the House of Representatives to-day. The Bill, he said, sought to modify certain rules of law. Recently au influential committee in England under the chairmanship of. the Master of the Rolls had reported on certain points of law, and tho Bill was built on the report of that committee. At present, in an accident involving a motor vehicle, if the wrongdoer were killed an injured person had no remedy. The Bill would alter that.

The Bill also gave the mother of an illegitimate child certain rights she did not at present possess. Again, at present claims for damages when death occurred could not include funeral expenses. That would ba remedied.

Under the Bill a number of curious old laws regarding the property of mairied women and their liability to their husbands were removed.. Ha thanked the legal profession, legal members of the House and the Statutes Revision Committea for flie help they had given him in framing the Bill.

The Bill received general support, particularly from legal members of the House.

Mr Mason, in replying to the debate, said it was the Government’s intention to bring down a Bill to deal with motor-car insurance, but it would not bo this session. There were many complicated matters that had to be dealt with before it could be introduced. The motion for committal was carried and the House went into committee. Several technical amendments were made to the Bill, which was reported to the House with amendments, read the third time and passed.