567214-1929-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time---Sunday-Cargo-Working-Widows-and-Orphans-Pension-Amendment-By-Amendment — Page 9

Repeal of Ordinance No. 6 of 1887, s. 8, and substitu- tion of new section.

Amendment

of Ordinance

No. 6 of 1887, s. 10 (1).

Amendment

of Ordinance

No. 6 of 1887, s. 24.

Temporary provision.

Ordinance No. 6 of 1887.

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in Council who may add any name to either list or strike off any name from either list, and who shall accordingly finally settle the two lists.

(6) In settling the list of special jurors the Governor in Council shall not be bound by any previous order made by him regard- ing the maximum number of special jurors.

4. Section 8 of the Jury Ordinance, 1887, is repealed and the following section is substituted therefor :-

Bringing lists into operation.

8-(1) The two lists, when finally settled by the Governor in Council, shall be returned to the Registrar and shall be brought into use on the 1st day of March next following, or on such day as may be ordered by the Governor.

(2) The two lists so settled and brought into use in any year shall continue in force until the respective lists settled in the next following year are duly brought into use.

5. Section 10 (1) of the Jury Ordinance, 1887, is amended by the substitution of the words "the Registrar or a Deputy Registrar shall" for the words "a Deputy Registrar shall, in the presence of the Registrar in the second and third lines, and by the substitution of the words "the Registrar or a Deputy Registrar" for the words “a Deputy Registrar in the sixth line.

6 Section 24 of the Jury Ordinance, 1887, is amended by the substitution of the word "or" for the word "and" in the fifth line.

7. The lists of special jurors and common jurors brought into use on the 1st day of March, 1929, shall continue in force until the new lists which shall be settled in the year 1930 under the provisions of the Jary Ordinance, 1887, as amended by this Ordinance, shall have been brought into use,

Objects and Reasons.

1. Section 7 of the Jury Ordinance, 1887, Ordinance No. 6 of 1887, provides that the Special Jurors List and the Common Jurors List for any particular year must be brought into force on the 1st day of March, and there is no power to extend this date. The section also requires that the list of persons liable to serve as jurors must be posted up outside the Courts of Justice on or before the 1st day of February in each year, and there is also no power to extend this date. The section also requires the consideration of the jurors list by the Legislative Council in the second half of February. The rigidity of these provisions has caused inconvenience from time to time and has sometimes made very difficult a proper consideration of points arising on the lists. This amending bill gives the Governor power to extend the dates in question in case of necessity.

2. The Jury Ordinance, 1887, provides for the final settlement of the lists by the Legislative Council. The bill transfers this duty to the Governor in Council, who is considered to be the more suitable authority.