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contraventions of the law; for the recovery of the fixed penalty sum- marily as a civil debt, and for matters incidental thereto or connected therewith."
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He said:-Sir, in 1965, the Chief Justice appointed a Working Party, under the chairmanship of a judge of the Supreme Court, to consider ways of simplifying the procedure for the prosecution of minor traffic offences. The Working Party, which contained representatives of the Bar Association and the Law Society, submitted its recommenda- tions to the Chief Justice, who endorsed them and forwarded them to the Government for consideration. This bill gives legislative effect, with only minor changes, to the substance of that Report.
The main object of this bill is to provide that in future a number of minor traffic contraventions will be dealt with not as criminal offences, giving rise to prosecution, but as more akin to civil trespass, creating only a liability to pay a sum of money. This fixed penalty is specified as thirty dollars by clause 13, which, however, also confers power on this Council to raise this amount by resolution at any time.
The contraventions to which the fixed penalty system will apply are obstruction by motor vehicles (clause 4), the stopping of motor vehicles at crossings (clauses 5 and 6) and parking or waiting at un- authorized places (clauses 7, 8 and 9) or without paying meter charges (clauses 10 and 11). By virtue of amendments to road traffic legisla- tion, which amendments are contained in the Schedule of the bill, these contraventions will cease to be offences.
Clause 3 applies the bill to motor vehicles owned by the Crown and to public officers, so that the driver of a Crown vehicle will be personally liable to pay the penalty incurred by reason of any con- travention which takes place while he is in charge of it.
Clause 12 exempts certain kinds of vehicle, and certain uses of motor vehicles, from liability for various contraventions. The clause will, for example, allow• vehicles used in construction work, or road repairs or work on public utilities to operate in places where parking is restricted. Also fire engines, ambulances and police vehicles will be excused, if they are on urgent duty, as are public omnibuses and taxis, if they are waiting in authorized stopping places or taxi ranks.
Perhaps the most convenient way of describing the operation of the bill is to outline briefly the various steps which will take place when a contravention occurs. Let us assume that a car has been left in Queen's Road Central, close to a sign prohibiting parking at all times. It is there seen by a police officer, who will fix to the car (under clause 15(2)) a notice, informing the owner that he has contravened the Ordinance and that he may pay the fixed penalty of $30 to a specified address within seven days.