LAW AMENDMENT

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21200, 24 August 1940, Page 6

LAW AMENDMENT

BILL OF 59 CLAUSES WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ACT WIDER SCOPE OF AWARDS (By Telegraph.—Special to Timet) WELLINGTON, Friday Most of the 59 clauses of the Statutes Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives today, are for the purpose of more rapid administrative procedure. The bill was read a second time pro forma and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. Hospital boards are to be permitted to insure their members against personal accident arising during the performance of their duty. Provision is also made for chairmen of hospital boards to receive remuneration in cases in which a hospital is controlled by a joint committee of more than one hospital board. In computing the five years' practice which entitles a solicitor to qualify as a barrister it is provided that service in the armed forces in the present war shall be counted as part of the five-year period. Motor Registration The date for the annual licensing of motor vehicles and the issue of drivers’ licenses is to be postponed by one month during the registration year commencing at the beginning of June, 1941. There will be an increase of one-twelfth of the license fee for that term. The reason for this change is to avoid congestion in post offices owing to the fact that the motor registration date synchronises with that for the payment of social security. The State Fire Insurance Office is to be authorised to undertake marine insurance business. Local bodies are to be permitted to issue any of their licenses lor a part of a year and to charge a proportionate fee. An alteration is made in the existing procedure for appeals from decisions of transport licensing authorities in that the Minister of Transport may, instead of deciding an appeal, refer it back to the licensing authority for further consideration. This is to meet cases where the Minister considers that the evidence taken has been insufficient for a determination to be made. Injury To Worker An amendment is made to the law i relating to liability for workers’ ' compensation. The Workers’ Compensation Act already provides that : an accident causing death or serious disablement may be the basis of a claim for compensation, even though it may arise from the serious misconduct of the worker. The Act is now given a wider scope to bring it into line with the English practice. Compensation may be awarded If the worker were engaged in his employer’s service at the time of injury even though he was at the time acting in contravention of any Act or statutory regulation or without the j authority of his employer. The final provision gives a Warden’s Court the same power as a magistrate has to grant compensation to a worker for an accident arising out of his employment, where he appears to be entitled to it, in a case in which the worker seeks but fails to establish a claim at common law for damages.