Mental Treatment Act, 1945

General provisions relating to joint board.

17.—The following provisions shall have effect in relation to a joint board

(a) the board shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession by the name given to them by order of the Minister,

(b) the board shall have power to sue and be sued in their corporate name,

(c) the board shall have power to hold and dispose of land,

(d) the board shall provide and have a common seal and such seal shall be authenticated by the signature of the chairman or some other member authorised to act in that behalf and the signature of an officer of the board authorised to act in that behalf,

(e) all courts of justice shall take judicial notice of the seal of the board and every document purporting to be an order or other instrument made by them and to be sealed with their seal (purporting to be authenticated in accordance with the foregoing paragraph) shall be received in evidence and be deemed to be such order or instrument without further proof unless the contrary is shown,

(f) the board shall be an elective body within the meaning and for the purposes of the County Management Acts, 1940 and 1942,

(g) the board shall for all purposes be the successors of the joint committee of management which immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act operated under section 9 of the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898 , in respect of the relevant district and, accordingly, every reference in any statute or other enactment in force immediately before the commencement of this Part of this Act to a joint committee of management of a district mental hospital shall be deemed, where appropriate, to include a reference to the board and every reference in this Act to a joint board shall be deemed, where appropriate, to include a reference to the joint committee of which the board are the successors,

(h) the Minister may by order make such provision as he thinks proper in regard to any matters which arise in consequence of the first establishment of the board and in respect of which provision is not made by this Act.