Debates Day 2 - 23 April 1975
Parliamentary Record 3
Northern Territory. Department of the Legislative Assembly
Debates for 1st Assembly 1974 - 1977; Parliamentary Record; ParliamentNT; 1st Assembly 1974 - 1977
1975-04-23
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
English
Debates
Hansard
Darwin
pages 215 - 227
application/pdf
Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/221839
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/694870
DEBATES-Wednesday 23 April 1975 the owner cannot be ascertained. This bill proposes the removal of the words "if the owner cannot be ascertained". The reason for this is to permit a court to make an order for the disposal of the goods, usually by public auction, in cases where the reputed owner is known but cannot be found. It is not uncommon in the Territory for a reputed owner's name to be known but his whereabouts to be unascertainable. As the law now stands, property which is owned by such persons must be kept indefinitely by the police or the courts. The proposed amendments will permit a court to order its disposal. It must be accepted that a court would not make such an order unless it was satisfied that every reasonable effort had been taken to trace the owner and it was not reasonable to expect tnat he could be contacted in the future. This is not a proposal emanating from the situation that has come into existence since Cyclone Tracy. The accumulation of property which could not be disposed of was an increasing problem and the police and the Attorney General's Department originated proposals for this bill before the cyclone. It is probable that the position will worsen as a result of the cyclone but members should understand that this bill proposes to deal with a continuing problem, not one only related to Cyclone Tracy. Debate adjourned. JUSTICES BILL (Serial 13) In Committee: Clause 1 agreed to. Progress reported. HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL SERVICES BILL (Serial 15) In Committee: Clause 1 agreed to. Progress reported. POLICE AND POLICE OFFENCES BILL (Serial 27) 227 CRIMINAL LAW CONSOLIDATION BILL (Serial 28) Bills, by leave, withdrawn. ADJOURNMENT Dr LETTS: I move that the Assembly do now adjourn. Motion agreed to; the Assembly adjourned.