LEGISLATION
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Legal Aid. The Legal Aid in Criminal Cases Rules, made under the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Chapter 221), enable legal aid to be granted upon application in criminal trials in the Supreme Court, and in criminal appeals to the Full Court, if the committing magistrate or a judge of the Supreme Court or the Full Court is satisfied that the applicant has insufficient means to obtain such aid for himself and the case is one involving a capital charge, or if he considers that in the interests of justice the prisoner ought to have legal assistance.
Government Lotteries. The Government Lotteries Ordinance was enacted to enable the Government to run lotteries, which are managed by a standing committee. Sixty per cent of the proceeds is returned as prizes and the balance, after deduction of expenses, is to be applied to social welfare work. Information must be published annually in the Gazette to show the relationship between the proceeds of the lotteries and the development of the_social welfare services. Rules have been made under this ordinance to regulate the conduct of the lotteries.
Community Relief Trust Fund. Sums of money had been con- tributed by members of the public to various funds established to meet_special problems or emergencies in the past. In some cases, balances remained unexpended and in other instances the funds had been intermixed with other funds and applied to charitable purposes similar to those for which the funds were originally donated. The Community Relief Fund Ordinance establishes a single fund to take over such balances and to accept other sums that may be donated in the future. The Director of Social Welfare Incorporated is trustee of the fund, which will be applied to assist victims of natural disasters such as fires, floods or typhoons. A committee of three official and two unofficial members is appointed to advise the trustee in the administration of the fund.
Boilers and Pressure Receivers. The extensive use now made in industry in Hong Kong of pressure equipment made it desirable to introduce new and comprehensive methods of inspection and control on internationally accepted lines. The Boilers and Pressure Receivers Ordinance, based in the main on provisions of the Factories Act, 1961, deals with the construction, maintenance, examination and use of steam boilers, steam receivers, steam containers, air receivers and portable gas generators. The ordinance