Harbours Act, 1946

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Procedure and business.

24.—(1) The quorum for a meeting of a harbour authority shall be five in the case of a harbour authority mentioned in Part I of the First Schedule to this Act and four in the case of a harbour authority mentioned in Part II of the said Schedule.

(2) At a meeting of a harbour authority—

(a) the chairman of the harbour authority shall, if he is present, be chairman of the meeting;

(b) if the chairman of the harbour authority is not present or if the office of chairman is vacant, the vice-chairman of the harbour authority shall, if he is present, be chairman of the meeting;

(c) if the chairman of the harbour authority is not present or if the office of chairman is vacant and the vice-chairman is not present or the office of vice-chairman is vacant, the members of the harbour authority who are present shall choose one of their members to be chairman of the meeting.

(3) Save as otherwise provided by this Act, a question at a meeting of a harbour authority shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting on the question and, in case of an equal division of votes, the chairman of the meeting shall have a second or casting vote.

(4) A harbour authority may act notwithstanding one or more vacancies in their membership.

(5) Where—

(a) a local authority or a chamber of commerce purport to appoint or the Minister purports to nominate or persons required to elect elected members purport to elect a person to be a member of a harbour authority, and

(b) such person acts as such member, and

(c) there was any informality (including want of qualification on the part of such person) in the purported appointment, nomination, or election of such person,

the acts and proceedings of such person shall, for the purposes of the proceedings of the harbour authority but not further or otherwise, be as valid and effectual as if there had been no such informality.

(6) Where a person who has duly become a member of a harbour authority becomes disqualified for being a member of the harbour authority, the acts and proceedings of such person after his becoming disqualified shall, for the purpose of the proceedings of the harbour authority but not further or otherwise, be as valid and effectual as if he had not become so disqualified.

(7) The Minister may make regulations in respect of the procedure and business of a harbour authority.

(8) Subject to the provisions of this Act and any regulations made thereunder, a harbour authority shall regulate, by standing orders or otherwise, their procedure and business.

(9) Whenever a meeting of a harbour authority is abandoned owing to failure to obtain a quorum, the names of the members attending at the time and place appointed for the meeting shall be recorded, and, for the purpose of any provisions relating to disqualification of members of harbour authorities for non-attendance at meetings, a meeting of the harbour authority shall be deemed to have been held at such time and place and the members whose names are so recorded shall be deemed to have attended at such meeting.