18

 


 

First Session, 50th General Assembly

70 Elizabeth II, 2021

BILL 18

AN ACT TO AMEND THE LOTTERIES ACT

Received and Read the First Time................................................................

Second Reading............................................................................................

Committee.....................................................................................................

Third Reading...............................................................................................

Royal Assent.................................................................................................

HONOURABLE SIOBHAN COADY

Minister of Finance and President of Treasury Board

Ordered to be printed by the Honourable House of Assembly

 

EXPLANATORY NOTES

This Bill would amend the Lotteries Act to

·         add a definition of minister;

·         replace all references to "Minister of Justice" with the correct reference "Minister of Justice and Public Safety";

·         provide immunity for the government of the province, a minister, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation or any person acting on behalf of the government of the province and their directors, officers, employees or agents from causes of action for anything done or omitted to be done under the Act or the regulations or in the performance of a duty or exercise of a power related to lottery schemes;

·         allow a person, notwithstanding the general immunity provision, to bring an action against the Atlantic Lottery Corporation or any person acting on behalf of the government of the province or a director, officer, employee or agent to recover losses suffered as a result of a negligent act or omission by any of them in the performance of a duty or exercise of a power related to lottery schemes but limit damages to compensatory damages; and

·         prohibit an action for damages from being instituted or continued under the Class Actions Act or other representative proceeding.

A BILL

AN ACT TO AMEND THE LOTTERIES ACT

Analysis


        1.   S.2 R&S
Definitions

        2.   S.4 Amdt.
Licence

        3.   S.6.1 Added
Immunity

        4.   Commencement

 


Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor and House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows:

SNL1991 c53
as amended

        1. Section 2 of the Lotteries Act is repealed and the following substituted:

Definitions

        2. In this Act 

             (a)  "lottery scheme" means lottery scheme permitted by virtue of the Criminal Code; and

             (b)  "minister" means a member of the executive council.

 

        2. Section 4 of the Act is amended by deleting the reference "Minister of Justice" wherever it appears and substituting the reference "Minister of Justice and Public Safety".

 

        3. The Act is amended by adding immediately after section 6 the following:

Immunity

      6.1 (1) An action or proceeding does not lie or shall not be instituted or continued against the government of the province, a minister, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, any person acting on behalf of the government of the province or a director, officer, employee or agent of any of them for anything done or omitted to be done under this Act or the regulations or in the performance of a duty or in the exercise or purported exercise of a power respecting lottery schemes.

             (2)  Notwithstanding subsection (1), a person may bring an action against the Atlantic Lottery Corporation or any person acting on behalf of the government of the province or a director, officer, employee or agent of any of them to recover damages in an amount equal to the loss or damage proved to have been suffered by the person as a result of a negligent act or omission of the Atlantic Lottery Corporation or other person acting on behalf of the government of the province or a director, officer, employee or agent of any of them in the performance of a duty or exercise of a power respecting lottery schemes.

             (3)  The damages referred to in subsection (2) are limited to compensatory damages and shall not include punitive damages or exemplary damages.

             (4)  Notwithstanding any other law, an action for damages referred to in subsection (2) shall not be instituted or continued under the Class Actions Act or as a part of any other representative proceeding.

Commencement

        4. This Act is considered to have come into force on February 21, 1992.