NEW LAWS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5374, 14 January 1929, Page 3

NEW LAWS.

• . LEGISLATION PASSED LAST YEAR. OPERATING FROM JANUARY 1. Some of the most important legislation passed during last year’s working session of Parliament took legist lative effect on January 1. Perhaps .the most important of the Acts which beg.an to operate on New Year’s Day (says the “Evening Post”) is the Mental Defectives Act. Its effect is not as, wide as was originally proposed, the c.ontentious “sterilisation” clause, and others, having been struck out in the passage of the Bill through the House; of. Representatives. The main provisions include the establishment of the Mental Hos-, pitals Department as a separate department of State; the creation of a new class of mentally defective persons to be known as the socially defective ; and the constitution of a special board to have supervision over certain classes of mentally defective persons. Social defectives are defined as “persons who spffejr from mental deficiency associated with anti-social conduct, and who by reason of such mental deficiency and conduct require supervision for their own protection or in the publite interest.” The supervising board' is to consist of the Director-General of Mental Hospitals (chairman), the Director-General of Health, the Di-i rector of Education, th© ControllerGeneral of Prisons, a medical officer of the Mental Hospitals Department, and two Returns are to be made to the board by the Director of. Education of the names of school children suffering from retarded mental development, deficiency, and disorder, or epilepsy, or others whom the director has reason to believe are; riot attending school because of epilepsy or other mental disease. The Controller-General of Prisons i= to make similar returns relating to men-, tally defective; prisoners. Reported cashes, will be investigated at psychological clinics, so that they may be properly classified for the purpose of a register of mentally affected persons which the board is empowered to compile. The heads of classifica-j lion will be "idiots,” “imbeciles,” “feeble-minde;d,” “epileptics,” and “socially defective.’’ MOTOR VEHICLES INSURANCE. Another important product of last year’s session was the Motor Vehicles Insurance (Third Party Risks) Act, requiring the owners of. motor vehicles to insure against their liability to pay damages op account of deaths or bodily injuries caused by the use of their motor vehicles. Thq main principle involved; is the protection of -those who have suffered injuries through accidents causjed by all classes of motor on the roads. The contract of insurance cevers only accidents or injuries to persons, and does not cover injuries to property. Under the new law all vehicles ale obliged to carry an insurance to the public for’ the benefit of anyone who may be injured through negligence in control. The premiums have been fixed experimentally, the Minister pointing out in the House that it is impossible to forecast exactly how the new law will work out. The Act is largely a technical one, and certain exemptions .and detailed provisions are set out in regard to the payment of premiums, which are to be collected with the annual license fees, change of. ownership, liability in the event of death or insolvency of the owner of a vehicle, settlement of claims, etc. When licenses tre renewed in May next motorists will have to nominate an insurance company with which they wish to place their third party risk. The Kinematograph Films Act, which also (Operates as from the first day of the new yqar, qeeks to afford assistance and encouragement for the, British film industry i,n New Zealand as against the competition of foreignmade filmq, and requires a certain proportion of British films to be shown. BRITISH STATUS. A further measure of national importance is, the British Nationality or Status of Aliens (in New Zealand) Act, which, briefly, enables New Zealand, for the first time;, to create a British subject who shall have the right and status of. a British subject throughout the British Empire, and, indeed, thiougho.ut ithe world. Vice versa, it also conceded the right to all other parts of the Empire to create British subjects, who shall have the right and status of British subjects in New Zealandt Thfej Act establishes uniformity with other parts of the Empire in the matter of Elmpire citizenship, so. that persons Who have nationalisation in other parts of the Empire do not require to gp through the same procedure again when they land in New Zealand. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS.

The- Music Teachers Registration Act, as its name implies, lays) down procedure for the registration of music, teachers. Briefly, it authorises the setting up of a registration board, which is tb receive applications for registration, consider the qualifications of applicants for, registration, and register or decline to register applicants ac,cordingly. Powers are given to remove names from the register in the event bf certain defaults, and provision is made for appeal against the decisions of the board 1 . A registration measure of a somewhat similar nature provides for the setting up of an opticians board to examine the qualifications of applicants for registration in that pt"o.fesr sion. It b, an offence for unqualified persons to practice as. opticilans, subject to a fine of £2O, and a like penalty may be inflicted on persons other than registered medical practitioners who describe thejmselves as oculists or eye specialists. A third' Ac.t of the same nature tightens up the qualifications, required of surveyors. CONSOLIDATIONS.

In addition to consolidating the law in regard! to divorce, the Divo.r'ce and Matrimonial Causes Act makes some alterations in the old law, though not substantial in effect. Failure to comply with a decree for restitution of conjugal rights is a ground for judi-

eial separation. The rule as to the retention of her domicile by a deserted wife, notwithstanding that her husband has changed! hiis domicile, is no.w extended to apply to the of a wife who has been separated from her husband by agreement or otherwise. Other changes have been made largely with a view to making the; intention of the law more clear.

Eight of the cpnso.lida.ting Acts also came into operation on New Year’s Day. In only one of these measures has any amendment been made at the same time. as consolidating; opportunity has been t aken to, fit in some necessary changes in regard to the control of the rabbit The eight Acts referred to are the Magistrate’s Courts Act, the Education Reserves Ac,t, the Rabbit Nuisance Act, the Orchard and Garden Diseases Ac.t, the Inspection of Machinery Act, the; Noxio.us Weeds Act, the Post and Telegraph Act, and the Public Works Ac.t.