Retroactive application

As a general rule, courts look with favour upon remedial and curative enactments, which were beneficial in nature and were interpreted in the context of the evil to be cured and the mischief to be remedied

Provisions of such enactments were to be liberally construed so as to advance the remedy and suppress the mischief and to ensure that the legislative intent, in such behalf, was not frustrated

Remedial and curative statutes generally were retroactive in their application and applied to pending proceedings

In the absence of the express words to the contrary, such enactments should not ordinarily be construed to destroy vested rights, create new liabilities and obligations or disturb past and closed transactions

With regard to judgments passed prior to enactment of a remedial or curative statute, the finality thereof may be disturbed and destroyed during the pendency of appeal there-against, if such was the intention of the Legislator, which could be fairly gathered from the express words employed in the remedial or curative enactment.