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POWERS OF ATTORNEY
Wednesday, August 2, 1972
The Powers of Attorney Bill 1972, which provides a uniform and
recognised system for duly authorising a person to conduct the private or
business affairs of his principle, was introduced into the Legislative Council
today.
Moving its second reading, the Acting Attorney General, the Hon. G.R.
Sneath, told the Council the Bill was based on the English Act of the same
name which was passed into law last year.
It gives a statutory basis for some of the old common law rules on
this subject, he said.
Under the Bill, a power of attorney must be in writing and signed
and sealed by the donor, or by somebody else at his direction. But he must be
present when this is done, and so must two other people who then sign as
witnesses.
Mr. Sneath said the Schedule to the Bill provides a simple form for
giving a general power of attorney.
One provision states that the person to whom such a general power of
attorney is given then has the authority to do anything which the donor himself
could do through an attorney.
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