XN000022-1972-08-02 — Page 11

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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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