ENG-1959 — Page 255

LEGISLATION

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youthful offenders, that is to say, boys and girls between the ages of seven and sixteen. When sentencing an offender the Court no longer orders the offender to a specified period of detention at a reformatory school, but on an order being made the offender will be detained for a minimum period of two years but no longer than five years, or until such time as he reaches the age of eighteen, whichever is the earlier. It is not thought desirable that the Court should fix a definite period of detention because such period can only properly be determined when there has been an opportunity of judging the response to training. An offender who responds to training may be released after two years, whilst anyone above the age of fourteen who is- found to be incorrigible may be sent to a training centre or even prison. This Ordinance brings the Hong Kong legislation into line with the United Kingdom legislation and the Training Centres Ordinance.

Occupiers Liability Ordinance. The United Kingdom Occupiers Liability Act, 1957, which was based on the majority recom- mendations contained in the Third Report of the Law Reform Committee of the United Kingdom, came into force on the 1st January 1958. The Law Reform Committee of Hong Kong recommended that the law should be brought into line with the United Kingdom legislation. After the recommendations of that Committee had been considered the Occupiers Liability Ordinance was enacted. The effect of this Ordinance is to standardize the liability of occupiers of premises to visitors injured as a result of defects in the condition of these premises so that the duty owed to a licensee is the same as that owed to an invitee.

Miscellaneous. The codification of the Road Traffic legislation continued with the enactment of the Road Traffic (Roads and Signs) Regulations. The provisions of the Geneva Convention August 12th 1949, for the Relief of the Wounded and Sick in Armies in the Field was applied to Hong Kong.

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