599125-1939-Supplementary-Bills-read-a-first-time--Volunteer-Amendment-Registration-of-Persons-Amendment-Hydrocarbon-Oils-Amendment-Compelsory-Service — Page 10

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Provided that no person who has attained the

age of forty-one years, or who expresses a conscientious objection to the undertaking of combatant service, shall without his consent be assigned to the combatant group: Provided also that any male British subject of whatever age may at any time, with the consent of the proper military authority, voluntarily enrol himself in the key-posts group or the essential services group of the reserve.

(3) The combatant group shall be divided into three sections, namely...

(a) a naval section;

(b) a military section;

(c) an air section;

and members of that group shall be liable to be assigned to any of the said sections or to be transferred from one to another of the said sections at the discretion of the proper military authority.

(4) Every member of the naval section of the said reserve shall be deemed to have been duly admitted as a member of the Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force, and all the provisions of any enactment for the time being in force relating to members of such force shall apply to him.

(5) Every member of the military and air sections shall be deemed to have been duly admitted as a member of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps and all the provisions of any enactment for the time being in force relating to volunteers in such corps shall apply to him, and he shall be liable to be posted to any unit of the said corps as the Commandant of the Corps may determine.

(6) The Governor in Council may make regulations for the organization, discipline and general government of the key-posts group and of the general group for essential services and for the imposing of penalties, not exceeding a fine of two hundred and fifty dollars and imprisonment for six months, for breach of any such regulations, and every member of the said groups, whether voluntarily enrolled or not, shall be subject to such regulations.

(7) Notwithstanding any enactment to the contrary. no member of the reserve shall be entitled to quit the same prior to disbandment without the previous sanction in writing of the Governor.

12.--(1) Any inquiry by the compulsory service tribunal Procedure. and any appeal to the appeal tribunal under the provisions of this Ordinance shall be conducted in public unless on any occasion the majority of the members of the tribunal then present are of opinion that the inquiry or the appeal on that occasion should be conducted wholly or partly in private.

(2) In all other respects any inquiry or appeal under the provisions of this Ordinance may be conducted in such manner as the inquiring or appellate authority, as the case may be, shall see fit: Provided that all questions shall be decided by a majority of votes, including the vote of the chairman, and whenever the votes are equal the chairman shall have a casting vote.

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