MOTOR VEHICLES (THIRD PARTY
INSURANCE) ACT, 1958 (NO. 42 OF
58)
As amended
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Short title and commencement.
2. Interpretation.
3. Users of motor vehicles to be
insured against third party risks.
4. Limitation of time for
proceedings.
5. Exemptions.
6. Requirements in respect of
policies.
7. Requirements in respect of
securities.
8. Certain conditions to policies
or securities to be of no effect.
9. Avoidance of restrictions on
the scope of policies covering
third party risks.
10. Duty of insurers to satisfy
judgments against persons insured
in respect of third party risks.
11. Rights of third parties
against insurers.
12. Duty to give information to
third parties.
13. Certain settlements between
insurer and insured to be of no
effect.
14. Bankruptcy, etc., of insured
persons not to affect certain
claims.
15. Further rights of third
parties against insurers.
16. Duty to surrender certificate
on cancellation of policy.
17. Certificate to be produced.
18. Duty of owner to give
information.
19. Deposits.
20. Offences.
21. Application of Act to
securities.
22. General penalty.
23. Power to make regulations.
24. Repeal.
GHANANO. 42 OF 1958DATE OF ASSENT
Assented to in Her Majesty's Name
and on Her Majesty's behalf this
23rd day of December, 1958.
LISTOWEL
Governor-General.
AN ACT to make provision for the
protection of third parties
against risks arising out of the
use of motor vehicles, and for
purposes incidental thereto.
Date of Commencement. [1st April,
1959.]
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's Most
Excellent Majesty, by and with the
advice and consent of the National
Assembly of Ghana in this present
Parliament assembled, and by the
authority of the same as follows:—
Section 1—Short Title and
Commencement.
This Act may be cited as the Motor
Vehicles (Third Party Insurance)
Act, 1958 and shall come into
force on the first day of April,
1959.
Section 2—Interpretation.
(1) In this Act, unless the
context otherwise requires—
"company" includes any company
registered or required to be
registered under the provisions of
the Companies Ordinance, any
corporation incorporated by law
and any firm or partnership;
No. 55 of 1952
"driving licence" means a licence
to drive a motor vehicle granted
under the provisions of the Road
Traffic Ordinance, 1952;
"highway" includes any roadway or
place to which the public lawfully
have free access;
"insurer" and "approved insurer"
mean a person or body of persons
carrying on an insurance business
approved by the Minister;
"local authority" means a council
established under the provisions
of the Local Government Ordinance
or the Municipal Councils
Ordinance, 1953 or any Act
amending either of the said
Ordinances;
"Minister" means the Minister
responsible for the Interior;
"passenger vehicle" means a motor
vehicle used for carrying
passengers for hire or reward;
"policy" and "policy of insurance"
means a policy of insurance in
respect of third party risks
arising out of the use of motor
vehicles, being a policy which
complies with the provisions of
this Act, and includes a covering
note issued in respect of any such
policy;
"security" means such security in
respect of third party risks
arising out of the use of motor
vehicles as complies with the
provisions of this Act.
No. 55 of 1952.
(2) If any word or expression used
in this Act is defined in the Road
Traffic Ordinance, 1952, such word
or expression, unless the context
otherwise requires, shall have in
this Act the meaning assigned to
it in the said Ordinance.
(3) Any reference in this Act to
the expressions "bankrupt" or
"bankruptcy" in relation to a
person shall be construed as a
reference to any person who is
insolvent or has entered into a
composition or arrangement with
his creditors or who has been
adjudicated bankrupt under the
provisions of any enactment
relating to bankruptcy having
effect for the time being in
Ghana.
(4) Any reference in this Act to
the use of a motor vehicle shall
be construed as referring only to
the use thereof on any highway as
defined in this Act.
Section 3—Users of Motor Vehicles
to be Insured Against Third Party
Risks.
(1) Subject to the provisions of
this Act no person shall use, or
cause or permit any other person
to use, a motor vehicle unless
there is in force in relation to
the user of that motor vehicle by
such person or such other person,
as the case may be, such a policy
of insurance or such security in
respect of third party risks as
complies with the provisions of
this Act.
(2) Any person acting in
contravention of this section
shall be liable on conviction to a
fine not exceeding two hundred
pounds or to imprisonment for one
year or to both such fine and
imprisonment and a person
convicted of an offence under this
section shall be disqualified from
holding or obtaining a driving
licence.
(3) A disqualification under the
provisions of subsection (2),
unless the court for special
reasons to be recorded otherwise
orders, shall be for a minimum
period of twelve months from the
date of the conviction, and any
person so disqualified from
holding or obtaining a driving
licence under the provisions of
this section shall be deemed to be
so disqualified under the
provisions of the Road Traffic
Ordinance, 1952.
No. 55 of 1952
Section 4—Limitation of Time for
Proceedings.
Notwithstanding the provisions of
any written law which prescribes a
time within which proceedings may
be brought before a court,
proceedings in respect of an
offence under section 3 may be
instituted—
(a) within a period of six months
from the date of the commission of
the alleged offence; or
(b) within a period which exceeds
neither six months from the date
on which it came to the knowledge
of the prosecutor that the offence
had been committed, nor one year
from the date of the commission of
the offence,
whichever period is the longer.
Section 5—Exemptions.
The provisions of section 3 shall
not apply—
(a) to the user of a motor vehicle
owned by or exclusively employed
in the service of the Government
while such motor vehicle is being
used for the purposes of the
Government; or
(b) to the user of a motor vehicle
other than a passenger vehicle
owned by a person who has
deposited and keeps deposited with
the Accountant-General the sum of
five thousand pounds in respect of
such motor vehicle at any time
when such motor vehicle is being
driven by the owner or by a
servant of the owner in the course
of his employment; or
(c) to the user of a motor vehicle
at any time when it is driven for
police purposes by or under the
direction of a superior police
officer as defined in the Police
Force Ordinance; or
Cap 37
(d) to any person or class of
persons declared by the
Governor-General to be exempted
from the the provisions of this
Act.
(e) to any motor vehicle or type
of motor vehicle declared by the
Governor-General to be exempted
from the provisions of this Act.
Section 6—Requirements in Respect
of Policies.
(1) A policy of insurance for the
purposes of this Act must be a
policy which —
(a) is issued by an insurer
approved by the Minister; and
(b) insures such persons or
classes of person as may be
specified in the policy in respect
of any liability which may be
incurred by him or them in respect
of the death of or bodily injury
to any person caused by or arising
out of the use of a motor vehicle
covered by the policy:
Provided that such policy shall
not be required to cover—
(a) liability in respect of the
death arising out of and in the
course of his employment of a
person in the employment of a
person insured by the policy or of
bodily injury sustained by such a
person arising out of and in the
course of his employment; or
(b) save in the case of a
passenger vehicle or where persons
are carried by reason of or in
pursuance of a contract of
employment, liability in respect
of the death of or bodily injury
to persons being carried in or
upon or entering or getting on to
or alighting from a motor vehicle
at the time of the occurrence of
the event out of which the claims
arise; or
(c) any contractual liability.
(2) Where any payment is made,
whether or not with an admission
of liability, by —
(a) an insurer under or in
consequence of a policy issued
under the provisions of this Act;
or
(b) the owner of a motor vehicle
in relation to the user of which a
security under section 7 is in
force; or
(c) the owner of a motor vehicle
who has made a deposit under
section 5,
in respect of the death of or
bodily injury to any person
arising out of the use of a motor
vehicle and the person who has so
died or received bodily injury has
to the knowledge of the insurer or
such owner, as the case may be,
received treatment at a hospital,
whether as an in-patient or an
out-patient, in respect of the
injury so arising there shall be
also paid by the insurer or such
owner to such hospital the
expenses reasonably incurred by
such hospital in giving such
treatment after deducting any
money actually received by such
hospital in payment of a specific
charge for treatment:
Provided that the amount to be
paid by the approved insurer or
the owner shall not exceed fifty
pounds for each person so treated
as an in-patient and five pounds
for each person so treated as an
out-patient.
(3) [Repealed by Contracts Act,
1960 (Act 25), s.18]
Certificate of Insurance.
(4) A policy shall be of no effect
for the purposes of this Act
unless and until there is issued
by the insurer to the person by
whom the policy is effected a
certificate, in this Act referred
to as a certificate of insurance,
in the prescribed form and
containing such particulars of any
conditions subject to which the
policy is issued and of such other
matters as may be prescribed.
Section 7—Requirements in Respect
of Securities.
(1) For the purposes of this Act a
security must —
(a) be given either by an insurer
approved by the Minister or by a
person, company or body of persons
approved by the Minister carrying
on the business of giving
securities of a like kind; and
(b) consist of an undertaking by
the giver of the security to make
good, subject to any conditions
contained therein, any failure by
the owner of any passenger or
other motor vehicle or such other
persons or classes of person as
may be specified in the security
duly to discharge any such
liability as is required to be
covered by a policy of insurance
issued under the provisions of
this Act which may be incurred by
him or them, and such security
shall in the case of an
undertaking relating to the use of
a passenger vehicle be up to an
amount of not less than
twenty-five thousand pounds and in
other case of not less than five
thousand pounds.
(2) A security shall be of no
effect for the purposes of this
Act unless and until there is
issued by the person giving the
security to the person to whom it
is given a certificate, in this
Act referred to as a certificate
of security, in the prescribed
form and containing such
particulars of any conditions
subject to which the security is
issued and of such other matters
as may be prescribed.
Section 8—Certain Conditions in
Policies or Securities to be of no
Effect.
Any condition in a policy or
security issued or given for the
purposes of this Act providing
that no liability shall arise
under the policy or security, or
that any liability so arising
shall cease in the event of some
specified thing being done or
omitted to be done after the
happening of the event giving rise
to a claim under the policy or
security, shall be of no effect in
connection with such claims as are
set out in paragraph (b) of
subsection (1) of section 6:
Provided that nothing in this
section shall be so construed as
to render void any provision in a
policy or security requiring the
person insured or secured to repay
to the insurer or the giver of the
security any sums which the
insurer or the giver of the
security may have become liable to
pay under the policy or the
security and which have been
applied to the satisfaction of the
claims of third parties.
Section 9—Avoidance of
Restrictions on the Scope of
Policies Covering Third Party
Risks.
Where a certificate of insurance
has been delivered under the
provisions of subsection (4) of
section 6 to the person by whom a
policy has been effected so much
of the policy as purports to
restrict the insurance of the
person insured thereby in respect
of any of the following matters —
(a) the age or physical or mental
condition of persons driving the
motor vehicle; or
(b) the condition of the motor
vehicle; or
(c) the number of persons that the
motor vehicle carries; or
(d) the weight or physical
characteristics of the goods that
the motor vehicle carries; or
(e) the times at which or the
areas within which the motor
vehicle is used; or
(f) the horsepower or value of the
motor vehicle; or
(g) the carrying on the motor
vehicle of any particular
apparatus; or
(h) the carrying on the motor
vehicle of any particular means of
identification other than any
means of identification required
to be carried under the provisions
of the Road Traffic Ordinance,
1952,
No. 55 of 1952
shall, in respect of such
liabilities as are required to be
covered by a policy under
paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of
section 6, be of no effect:
Provided that nothing in this
section shall require an insurer
to pay any sum in respect of the
liability of any person otherwise
than in or towards the discharge
of that liability and any sum paid
by an insurer in or towards the
discharge of the liability of any
person which is covered by the
policy by virtue only of this
section shall be recoverable by
the insurer from that person.
Section 10—Duty of Insurers to
Satisfy Judgments Against Persons
Insured in Respect of Third Party
Risks.
(1) If after a certificate of
insurance has been delivered under
the provisions of subsection (4)
of section 6 to the person by whom
a policy has been effected
judgment in respect of any such
liability as is required to be
covered by a policy issued under
the provisions of paragraph (b) of
subsection (1) of section 6, being
a liability covered by the terms
of the policy, is obtained against
any person insured by the policy
then, notwithstanding that the
insurer may be entitled to avoid
or cancel or may have avoided or
cancelled the policy, the insurer
shall, subject to the provisions
of this section, pay to the
persons entitled to the benefit of
such judgment any sum payable
thereunder in respect of the
liability including any sum
payable in respect of costs and
any sums payable by virtue of any
written law in respect of interest
on that sum or judgment.
(2) No sum shall be payable by an
insurer under the provisions of
subsection (1) —
(a) in respect of any judgment
unless before or within fourteen
days after the commencement of the
proceedings in which the judgment
was given the insurer had notice
of the bringing of the
proceedings; or
(b) in respect of any judgment so
long as execution thereon is
stayed pending an appeal; or
(c) in connection with any
liability if before the happening
of the event, which was the cause
of the death or bodily injury
giving rise to the liability, the
policy was cancelled by mutual
consent or by virtue of any
provision contained therein and
either —
(i)
before the happening of such event
the certificate of insurance was
surrendered to the insurer, or the
person to whom the certificate of
insurance was delivered made a
statutory declaration stating that
the certificate of insurance had
been lost or destroyed and so
could not be surrendered; or
(ii) after the happening of such
event but before the expiration of
fourteen days from the taking
effect of the cancellation of the
policy the certificate of
insurance was surrendered to the
insurer, or the person to whom the
certificate of insurance was
delivered made a statutory
declaration that the certificate
of insurance had been lost or
destroyed and so could not be
surrendered; or
(iii) either before or after the
happening of the event or within a
period of fourteen days from the
taking effect of the cancellation
of the policy the insurer had
commenced proceedings under this
Act in respect of the failure to
surrender the certificate of
insurance.
(3) No sum shall be payable by an
insurer under the provisions of
this section if in an action
commenced before or within three
months after the commencement of
the proceedings in which the
judgment was given he has obtained
a declaration that apart from any
provision contained in the policy,
he is entitled to avoid it on the
ground that it was obtained by the
non-disclosure of a material fact
or by a representation of fact
which was false in a material
particular or if he has avoided
the policy on the ground that he
was entitled to do so apart from
any provision contained in it:
Provided that an insurer who has
obtained such a declaration in an
action shall not thereby be
entitled to the benefit of the
provisions of this subsection in
respect of any judgment obtained
in any proceedings commenced
before the commencement of that
action unless before or within
seven days after the commencement
of that action he has given notice
thereof to the person who is
plaintiff in the action under the
policy specifying the
non-disclosure or false
representation on which he
proposes to rely and that he
intends to seek a declaration and
any person to whom notice of such
action is given may, if he
desires, be made a party thereto.
(4) If the amount which an insurer
under the provisions of this
section becomes liable to pay in
respect of the liability of a
person insured by a policy exceeds
the amount for which he would,
apart from the provisions of this
section, be liable to pay under
the policy in respect of that
liability he shall be entitled to
recover the excess from that
person.
(5) In this section—
"liability covered by the terms of
the policy" means a liability
which is covered by the policy or
which would be so covered were it
not that the insurer is entitled
to avoid or cancel or has avoided
or cancelled the policy; and
"material" means of such a nature
as to influence the judgment of a
prudent insurer in determining
whether he will accept the risk
and if so, at what premium and on
what conditions.
Section 11—Rights of Third Parties
against Insurers.
(1) Where under a policy issued
for the purposes of this Act a
person, hereinafter referred to as
the insured, is insured against
liabilities to third parties which
he may incur, then —
(a) in the event of the insured
becoming bankrupt or making a
composition or arrangement with
his creditors; or
(b) in the event of the insured
being a company and a winding-up
order being made or a resolution
for the voluntary winding-up of
the company being passed in
respect of the company or a
receiver or manager of the
company's business or undertaking
being duly appointed or in the
event of possession being taken by
or on behalf of the holders of any
debentures secured by a floating
charge, or any property comprised
in or subject to the change,
if either before or after either
event any such liability is
incurred by the insured his rights
against the insurer under the
policy in respect of that
liability shall, notwithstanding
anything in any written law to the
contrary contained, be transferred
to and vest in the third party to
whom the liability was so
incurred.
(2) Where under the provisions of
any law an order is made for the
administration in bankruptcy of
the estate of a deceased debtor
then if any debt, which may be
proved in bankruptcy, is owing by
the deceased in respect of a
liability against which he was
insured under a policy issued for
the purposes of this Act as being
a liability to a third party then
the rights of the deceased debtor
against the insurer under that
policy shall, notwithstanding
anything in any law to the
contrary contained, be transferred
to and vest in the person to whom
the debt is owing.
(3) Any condition in a policy
issued for the purposes of this
Act purporting directly or
indirectly to avoid the policy or
to alter the rights of the parties
thereunder upon the happening of
any of the events specified in
subsections (1) and (2) shall be
of no effect.
(4) Upon a transfer of rights
under subsection (1) or subsection
(2) the insurer shall, subject to
the provisions of section 13, be
under the same liability to the
third party as he would have been
under to the insured save that —
(a) if the liability of the
insurer to the insured exceeds the
liability of the insured to the
third party nothing in this Act
shall affect the right of the
insured against the insurer in
respect of such excess; and
(b) if the liability of the
insurer to the insured is less
than the liability of the insured
to the third party nothing in this
Act shall affect the rights of the
third party against the insured in
respect of the balance.
(5) The provisions of this section
and of sections 12 and 13 shall
not apply—
(a) where a company is wound up
voluntarily merely for the
purposes of reconstruction or of
amalgamation with another company;
or
Cap 94.
(b) to any case to which the
provisions of section 26 of the
Workmen's Compensation Ordinance
applies.
(6) For the purposes of this
section and of sections 12 and 13
the expression "liabilities to
third parties" in relation to a
person insured under a policy of
insurance shall not include any
liability of that person in the
capacity of insurer under some
other policy of insurance.
Section 12—Duty to Give
Information to Third Parties.
(1) Any person against whom a
claim is made in respect of any
liability required to be covered
by a policy under the provisions
of this Act shall on demand by or
on behalf of the person making
such claim state whether or not he
was insured in respect of that
liability by any policy having
effect for the purposes of this
Act or would have been so insured
if the insurer had not cancelled
or avoided the policy and, if he
were or would have been so
insured, give such particulars
with regard to that policy as were
specified in the certificate of
insurance issued to him in respect
thereof.
(2) In the event of any person
becoming bankrupt or making a
composition or arrangement with
his creditors or in the event of
an order being made under the
provisions of any law relating to
bankruptcy in respect of the
estate of any person or in the
case of a winding-up order being
made or a resolution for a
voluntary winding-up being passed
with respect to any company or of
a receiver or manager of the
company's business or undertaking
being duly appointed or of
possession being taken, by or on
behalf of the holders of any
debentures secured by a floating
charge, of any property comprised
in or subject to the charge, it
shall be the duty of the bankrupt
debtor, personal representative of
the deceased debtor and, as the
case may be, of the official
assignee, trustee, liquidator,
receiver, manager or person in
possession of the property to give
at the request of any person
claiming in respect of a liability
to him such information as may
reasonably be required to
ascertain whether any rights have
been transferred to and vested in
him under the provisions of this
Act, and for the purpose of
enforcing such rights, and any
contract of insurance in so far as
it purports either directly or
indirectly to avoid the contract
or to alter the rights of the
parties thereunder upon the giving
of any such information or
otherwise to prohibit, prevent or
limit the giving of such
information shall be of no effect.
(3) If the information given to
any person in pursuance of the
provisions of subsection (2)
discloses reasonable grounds of
belief that rights have or may
have been transferred to him under
the provisions of this Act against
any particular insurer that
insurer shall be subject to the
same duty as is imposed by
subsection (2) on the persons
therein mentioned.
(4) The duty imposed by this
section to give information shall
include a duty to allow all
contracts of insurance, receipts
for premiums and other relevant
documents in the possession, power
or control of the persons on whom
the duty is so imposed to be
inspected and copies thereof to be
taken.
(5) Any person who, without
reasonable excuse, the onus of
proving which shall be upon him,
fails to comply with the
provisions of this section or who
wilfully or negligently makes any
false or misleading statement in
reply to a demand for information,
shall be guilty of an offence
against this Act.
Section 13—Certain Settlements
Between Insurer and Insured to be
of No Effect.
Where a person who is insured
under a policy issued for the
purposes of this Act has become
bankrupt or where such insured
person being a company a
winding-up order has been made or
a resolution for a voluntary
winding-up has been passed with
respect to that company, no
agreement made between the insurer
and the insured after liability
has been incurred to a third party
and after the commencement of the
bankruptcy or the winding-up, as
the case may be, nor any waiver,
assignment or other disposition
made by or payment made to the
insured after such commencement
shall be effective to defeat or
affect the rights transferred to
or vested in the third party under
the provisions of this Act and
such rights shall be the same as
if no such agreement, waiver,
assignment, disposition or payment
had been made.
Section 14—Bankruptcy, Etc., of
Insured Persons not to Affect
Certain Claims.
Where under the provisions of this
Act a certificate of insurance has
been delivered to the person by
whom a policy has been effected
the happening in relation to any
person insured by the policy of
any of the events specified in
subsection (1) or subsection (2)
of section 11, notwithstanding
anything in this Act contained,
shall not affect any such
liability of that person as is
required to be covered by a policy
under the provisions of this Act,
and nothing in this section shall
affect any rights against the
insurer conferred under the
provisions of sections 11, 12 and
13 on the person to whom the
liability was incurred.
Section 15—Further Rights of Third
Parties Against Insurers.
(1) No settlement made by an
insurer in respect of any claim
which might be made by a third
party in respect of any liability
as is required to be covered by a
policy issued under the provisions
of this Act shall be valid unless
such third party is a party to
such settlement.
(2) A policy issued under the
provisions of this Act shall
remain in force and available for
third parties notwithstanding the
death of any person insured under
such policy as if such insured
person were still alive.
Section 16—Duty to Surrender
Certificate on Cancellation of
Policy.
Where a certificate of insurance
has been delivered under the
provisions of this Act to the
person by whom a policy has been
effected and the policy is
cancelled by mutual consent or by
virtue of any provision in the
policy, the person to whom such
certificate was delivered shall,
within seven days from the taking
effect of the cancellation of such
policy, surrender such certificate
to the insurer or if such
certificate has been lost or
destroyed make a statutory
declaration to that effect and any
person contravening the provisions
of this section shall be guilty of
an offence against this Act.
Section 17—Certificate to be
Produced.
(1) Any person driving a motor
vehicle on a highway shall, on
being so required by a police
officer, give his name and address
and the name and address of the
owner of the motor vehicle and
shall produce his certificate of
insurance and any person
contravening the provisions of
this subsection shall be guilty of
an offence against this Act.
(2) In any case where owing to the
presence of a motor vehicle on a
highway an accident occurs
involving bodily injury to any
person the driver of the motor
vehicle shall produce his
certificate of insurance to a
police officer or to any person
having reasonable grounds for
requiring its production and if
any such driver for any reason
fails so to produce his
certificate of insurance he shall
so soon as possible, and in any
case within twenty-four hours of
the occurrence, report the
accident and produce his
certificate of insurance to the
police station nearest to the
scene of the accident or to the
nearest administrative officer and
any person contravening the
provisions of this subsection
shall be guilty of an offence
against this Act.
No. 55 of 1952
(3) The provisions of this section
shall be in addition to and not in
derogation of the provisions of
section 23 of the Road Traffic
Ordinance, 1952.
(4) In this section "to produce a
certificate of insurance" means to
produce for examination the
relevant certificate of insurance
or certificate of security or such
other evidence as may be
prescribed that the motor vehicle
was not being driven in
contravention of the provisions of
this Act
(5) In this section "police
officer" includes a member of the
Ghana Police Force, a member of a
police force established and
maintained by a local authority,
and an administrative officer.
Section 18—Duty of Owner to Give
Information.
An owner of a motor vehicle shall
give such information as may be
required by a police officer for
the purpose of determining whether
the motor vehicle was or was not
being driven in contravention of
the provisions of this Act on any
occasion on which the driver was
required to produce his
certificate and any owner failing
so to do shall be guilty of an
offence against this Act.
Section 19—Deposits.
Where a sum is deposited by any
person under the provisions of
section 5 or as a condition of
approval by the Minister under the
provisions of section 6 or section
7 neither that sum nor any part
thereof shall, so long as any
liability being a liability
required to be covered by a policy
of insurance under this Act which
has been incurred by such person
remains undischarged or otherwise
unprovided for, be applicable in
discharge of any other liabilities
incurred by such person.
Section 20—Offences.
(1) If any person for the purpose
of obtaining a certificate of
insurance or a certificate of
security under the provisions of
this Act makes any statement
either oral or written which is
false or misleading or withholds
any material information such
person shall, unless he proves to
the satisfaction of the Court that
he acted without any intent to
deceive, be guilty of an offence
against this Act and be liable, on
conviction, to a fine not
exceeding two hundred pounds or to
imprisonment for two years or to
both such fine and imprisonment.
(2) Any person who with intent to
deceive —
(a) forges, alters, defaces or
mutilates any certificate of
insurance or certificate of
security or any other certificate
or document issued under this Act;
or
(b) uses or allows to be used by
any other person any forged,
altered, defaced or mutilated
certificate of insurance or
certificate of security or any
other certificate or document
issued under this Act; or
(c) lends to or borrows from any
other person a certificate of
insurance or a certificate of
security or any other certificate
or document issued under the
provisions of this Act; or
(d) makes or has in his possession
any document so closely resembling
any certificate or document issued
under the provisions of this Act
as to be calculated to deceive; or
(e) issues any certificate of
insurance or certificate of
security or other certificate or
document to be issued under the
provisions of this Act,
shall be guilty of an offence and
liable on conviction, to a fine
not exceeding two hundred pounds
or to imprisonment for two years
or to both such fine and
imprisonment.
(3) If any police officer has
reasonable cause to believe that
any certificate of insurance or
certificate of security or any
other certificate or document
produced to him in pursuance of
the provisions of this Act by the
driver or owner of a motor vehicle
is a document in relation to which
an offence under this section has
been committed he may seize the
document and when any such
document is so seized the driver
and the owner of such motor
vehicle or either of them shall,
if neither of them has been
charged with an offence under the
provisions of this section, be
summoned before a magistrate to
account for the possession of or
the presence on the motor vehicle
of the said document and the
magistrate may make such order
respecting the disposal of the
document and award such costs as
he may deem just.
Section 21—Application of Act to
Securities.
(1) The provisions of this Act
shall apply in relation to
securities or to cash deposits and
any certificate or document issued
in respect thereof, issued or made
in accordance with the provisions
of this Act as such provisions
apply in relation to policies of
insurance and in relation to any
such security or cash deposit and
any certificate or document issued
in respect thereof and references
in this Act to being insured, to a
certificate of insurance, to an
insurer and to persons insured
shall be construed as references
to the having in force of the
security or of the cash deposit,
to the certificate of security or
other certificate or document
issued in respect of a cash
deposit, to the giver of the
security or the person making the
cash deposit and to the persons
whose liability is covered by the
security or the cash deposit.
(2) In this Act references to a
certificate of insurance in any
provisions relating to the
surrender or loss or destruction
of a certificate shall, in
relation to policies under which
more than one certificate is
issued be construed as references
to all or any of such certificates
and shall, where any copy of a
certificate has been issued, be
construed as including a reference
to such copy.
Section 22—General Penalty.
Any person who is guilty of an
offence against this Act for which
no special penalty is provided
shall, on conviction, be liable in
respect of a first conviction, to
a fine not exceeding fifty pounds
or six months imprisonment or to
both such fine and imprisonment
and in the case of a second or
subsequent conviction to a fine of
one hundred pounds or to
imprisonment for one year or to
both such fine and imprisonment.
Section 23—Power to make
Regulations.
The Governor-General may make
regulations for prescribing
everything which may be prescribed
under the provisions of this Act
and generally for the purpose of
putting this Act into effect and
in particular but without
prejudice to the generality of the
foregoing provisions may make
regulations—
(a) prescribing the forms to be
used for the purposes of this
Act;
(b) declaring approved insurers;
(c) prescribing the requirements
in relation to securities either
generally or in particular case;
(d) as to application for and the
issue of certificates of insurance
and any other documents which may
be prescribed and as to the
keeping of records of documents
and the furnishing of particulars
thereof and the giving of
information with respect thereto;
(e) as to the issue of copies of
any certificates or documents
which are lost, mutilated or
destroyed
(f) as to the custody,
production, cancellation and
surrender of any such certificates
or other documents;
(g) for providing that any of the
provisions of this Act shall, in
relation to motor vehicles brought
into Ghana by persons making only
a temporary stay in Ghana, have
effect subject to such
modifications and adaptations as
may be prescribed;
(h) with respect to the payment of
deposits and the documents to be
issued in relation thereto and the
investments thereof and dealing
with the deposit of stocks or
other securities in lieu of money,
the payment of the interest or
dividends from time to time
accruing due on any securities in
which deposits may be for the time
invested and the withdrawal and
transfer of deposits;
(i)
prescribing fees to be charged in
respect of anything done under the
provisions of this Act;
(j) prescribing penalties for the
breach of any regulations made
hereunder not exceeding a fine of
two hundred pounds or imprisonment
for two years or both such fine
and imprisonment.
Section 24—Repeal.
Cap. 229.
The Motor Vehicles (Third Party
Insurance) Ordinance is hereby
repealed.
This printed impression has been
carefully compared by me with the
Bill which has passed the National
Assembly, and found by me to be a
true and correctly printed copy of
the said Bill.
K. B. AYENSU
Clerk of the National Assembly.
As amended by
CONTRACTS ACT, 1960 (ACT 25)1
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