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Friday, July 21, 1972
LAW GOVERNING POWERS OF ATTORNEY TO BE SIMPLIFIED
Provisions to simplify the law governing powers of attorney
have been included in a bill to be introduced into the Legislative Council
shortly.
This bill, the Powers of Attorney Bill 1972, is modelled on the
United Kingdom Powers of Attorney Act 1971, which is itself based on
a report in 1970 of the English Law Commission on Powers of Attorney.
The bill covers the manner in which a power of attorney may be
executed by or on behalf of the donor and it also simplifies the manner
in which the contents of a power of attorney may be proved.
It contains a short form of power of attorney which may be used
to confer authority to do anything which the donor could lawfully do by
an attorney.
A Government spokesman said today powers of attorney are governed
partly by statute and partly by common law.
"Consolidation in one ordinance should prove a convenience to
those who have occasion to draft powers of attorney," he said.
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