ILLITERATES'
PROTECTION ORDINANCE, 1951 (CAP
262)
As amended
THE ILLITERATES' PROTECTION
(AMENDMENT) ACT, 1963 (ACT 217).1
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Short Title and Application.
2. Prohibition of Letter-Writing
for Reward without Licence.
3. Grant and Refusal of Licence.
4. Conditions to be Fulfilled by
Persons Writing Letters for
Illiterates.
5. Reward for Writing Letters.
6. Production of Licence.
7. Penalties.
8. Summary Procedure.
9. Operation of Ordinance.
SCHEDULES
First Schedule
Second Schedule
CHAPTER 262.
(Gold Coast.)
McCarthy Cap. 212. Ordinances Nos.
4 of 1912, 30 of 1935, 17 of 1942.
AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR THE
PROTECTION OF ILLITERATE PERSONS.
Date of Commencement. [1st July,
1912.]
Section 1—Short Title and
Application.
This Ordinance may be cited as the
"Illiterates' Protection
Ordinance", and shall apply to the
Gold Coast. (30 of 1935, s.2.)
Section 2—Prohibition of
Letter-Writing for Reward Without
Licence.
It shall not be lawful for any
person for a reward, to be paid to
him or to any other person, to
write any letter or other document
for or at the request of any
illiterate person except in
conformity with the provisions of
this Ordinance and unless he shall
first have obtained a licence.
Section 3—Grant and Refusal of
Licence.
(1) Licences shall be granted by
District Commissioners or by such
persons as the Governor may in
writing direct: Provided that a
licence may be refused without
reason assigned.
Form of licence. First Schedule.
(2) Licences shall be in the form
in the First Schedule hereto or to
a like effect.
Non-transferability.
(3) Licences shall not be
transferable.
Period of licence.
(4) Every licence shall expire on
the 31st day of December next
after the issue thereof.
Fee for licence.
(5) A fee of five pounds shall be
paid for a licence. [As amended by
Illiterates' Proteection
(Amendment) Act, 1963 (Act 217)].
Section 4—Conditions to be
Fulfilled by Persons Writing
Letters for Illiterates.
Every person writing a letter or
other document for or at the
request of an illiterate person,
whether gratuitously or for a
reward, shall —
Reading and explanation.
(1) Clearly and correctly read
over and explain such letter or
document or cause the same to be
read over and explained to the
illiterate person;
Illiterate's mark.
(2) Cause the illiterate person to
write his signature or make his
mark at the foot of the letter or
other document or to touch the pen
with which the mark is made at the
foot of the letter or other
document;
Writer's name and address.
(3) Clearly write his full name
and address on the letter or other
document as writer thereof; and
Note of writer's fee.
Receipt for fee.
(4) State on the letter or other
document the nature and amount of
the reward, if any, charged or
taken or to be charged or taken by
him for writing the said letter or
other document, and shall give a
receipt for the same and keep a
counterfoil thereof to be produced
at the request of any of the
officers named in section 6.
Section 5—Reward for Writing
Letters.
Second Schedule
(1) A person duly licensed under
this Ordinance to charge or take
any fee or reward for writing any
letter or other document for or at
the request of an illiterate
person shall not charge or take
any fee or reward exceeding in
money or in value the amount set
forth in the Second Schedule:
Provided that a fee or reward for
witnessing the signature or other
execution of any letter or other
document shall not be charged
against or taken from a person by
a licensee in respect of any
letter or other document for which
a fee or reward for the writing
thereof has already been charged
against or taken from such person
by him.
(2) The Governor in Council may by
order amend, alter, add to or vary
the Second Schedule; and thereupon
such Schedule shall have effect as
so amended, altered, added to or
varied accordingly.
(Section substituted by 17 of
1942, s.2)
Section 6—Production of Licence.
Every licensee shall produce his
licence at the request of any
District Commissioner, Assistant
District Commissioner, or member
of the Police, and also, if a
native, at the request of any
Native Tribunal.
Section 7—Penalties.
(1) Every person who shall act in
contravention of any of the
provisions of this Ordinance,
shall be liable for a first
offence to a fine not exceeding
five pounds or to imprisonment not
exceeding one calendar month with
or without hard labour, and for
any subsequent offence to a fine
not exceeding ten pounds or to
imprisonment not exceeding three
calendar months with or without
hard labour.
Forfeiture of licence.
(2) In addition to any penalty
aforesaid, a licensee contravening
any of the provisions of this
Ordinance shall be liable to
forfeit his licence.
Section 8—Summary Procedure.
All offences against this
Ordinance shall be summarily heard
and determined by, and all
penalties shall be recoverable
before, a Magistrate. (Amended by
30 of 1935, s.2.)
Section 9—Operation of Ordinance.
This Ordinance shall not apply to
the writing of any letter or other
document or to any letter or other
document written in the course of
his business by a salaried clerk
or by or at the direction of any
person admitted to practise and
practising as a barrister or
solicitor in the Supreme Court.
SCHEDULES.
FIRST SCHEDULE.
(Section 3(2).)
(Amended by 30 of 1935, s.2 and by
17 of 1942, s.3.)
ILLITERATES' PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
LICENCE.
Letter-writer's licence.
Licence is hereby granted to
[insert name and address of
licensee] to write letters or
other documents in the Gold Coast
for illiterate persons for a
reward until the 31st day of
December, 19..... , subject to the
provisions of the Illiterates'
Protection Ordinance.
[Insert place of issue]
the........ day of ....... ,
19.....
Fee 10/-.
Signature of Issuing Officer.
SECOND SCHEDULE.
(Section 5(1).)
s. d.
(1) For any letter or document,
for the first 50 words or part
thereof .. ..
.. 1 3
(2) For any letter or document,
per 50 words or part thereof after
the first 50 words
9
(3) For the first copy of the same
per 50 words or part thereof
.. .. ..
.. 6
(4) For the second and subsequent
copies of the same, per 50 words
or part thereof.
If in manuscript ..
.. .. .. ..
.. .. ..
.. ..
.. 6
If type-written ..
.. .. .. ..
.. ..
.. .. ..
.. 3
(5) For witnessing the signature
or other execution of any
letter or document ..
.. 6"
(L.N.
198/55)
As amended by
THE ILLITERATES' PROTECTION
(AMENDMENT) ACT, 1963 (ACT 217).1
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