ENG-1957 — Page 258

Chapter 12: Legislation

1957 saw the enactment of thirty-nine Ordinances which were mainly of an amending character. Of the thirty-nine Ordin- ances enacted twenty-three were Amendment Ordinances, whereas other Ordinances such as the Medical Registration Ordinance, 1957, and the Road Traffic Ordinance, 1957, repealed and replaced other Ordinances of the same or similar

names.

Dutiable Commodities. Ethyl alcohol, as distinct from methyl alcohol or methanol, is the basis of all proof spirit used in the manufacture of intoxicating liquors. However, although methyl alcohol is in appearance and taste indis- tinguishable from ethyl alcohol, it is, unlike ethyl alcohol, a very dangerous poison. In order to safeguard the public against the danger of obtaining liquor containing the poison- ous methyl alcohol the Dutiable Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, No. 5, was enacted. This Ordinance makes cer- tain amendments to the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Chapter 109) to ensure that the two substances ethyl and methyl alcohol are kept, separate, and that any container used in connexion with these substances is carefully marked.

Crown Proceedings. With the passing of the Crown Proceedings Ordinance, No. 18, the private citizen now has a right of action against the Crown for wrongs committed by servants of the Crown, if such wrongs would be actionable had they been committed by the servant of an ordinary citizen. On the whole this new Ordinance, which is modelled on the United Kingdom Crown Proceedings Act of 1947, assimilates, so far as is possible, legal proceedings by and against the Crown to legal proceedings between private individuals, and it extends the liability of the Crown to torts committed by its servants, that is the acts or omissions of