ENG-1962 — Page 240

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Legislation

DURING the year 48 ordinances and a considerable volume of subsidiary legislation were enacted. The majority of this legislation amended existing laws; short notes on some of the more important items appear below.

Protection of Tenancies. The Tenancy (Notice of Termination) Ordinance imposed a measure of security_of tenure for certain classes of tenants by requiring a landlord to-give not less than six months notice of his intention to end a tenancy. The ordinance came into operation on 14th April 1962. The Tenancy (Notice of Termination) (Amendment) Ordinance amended the principal ordinance by providing that no notice of termination would take effect before 30th June 1963. The ordinance provides that any owner who seeks possession for his own occupation, or for pur- poses of redevelopment, may obtain an order for possession on satisfying a District Court of his intentions.

District Courts. A series of ordinances, based on the recom- mendations of the District Court Committee appointed by the Chief Justice in 1958, was enacted to revise the practice, procedure and powers of District Courts. The District Court (Amendment) Ordinance removes from the 1953 ordinance those provisions which relate exclusively to the courts' civil jurisdiction. It also makes provision for the appointment of a solicitor as a District Judge and of temporary and temporary additional judges, and deals in more detail with the right of audience of lawyers before District Courts.

The District Court (Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure) Ordinance deals with the civil jurisdiction and procedure of the District Court. Its provisions are mainly derived from the County Court Act, 1959, the District Court Ordinance, 1953, and the Supreme Court (Summary Jurisdiction) Ordinance, Chapter 5. The District Court (Amendment) (No 2) Ordinance introduces a right of appeal, at the suit of the Attorney General, on questions of law from deci- sions of a District Court in criminal matters.

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