I move amendment No. 5 :—
In page 1, before Section 2, to insert the following new section :—
" Nothing in this Act shall affect any legal proceedings commenced before the date of the passing of this Act."
This amendment proposes that nothing in the proposed Act shall affect any legal proceedings commenced before the Bill is passed. This is a usual provision in Bills of this type. A similar provision will be found in Section 17 of the Married Women's Status Act, 1957.
Amendment No. 5 goes further than amendment No. 6 in that it will prevent common employment being pleaded even though the injuries occurred before the passing of the Act. Under my amendment, all that will be necessary to oust the defence will be that proceedings shall not have been commenced before the passing of the Act.