52. Accidents in illegal employment and accidents outside State.

(1) Where a claim for occupational injuries benefit is made under this Part in respect of any accident or of any disease or injury prescribed for the purposes of section 66, or an application is made thereunder for a declaration that any accident was an occupational accident or for a corresponding declaration as to any such disease or injury, the Minister may direct that for the purposes of this Part the relevant employment shall, in relation to that accident, disease or injury, be treated as having been insurable (occupational injuries) employment, notwithstanding that, by reason of a contravention of or non-compliance with some provision contained in or having effect under any enactment passed for the protection of employed persons or of any class of employed persons, the contract purporting to govern the employment was void or the employed person was not lawfully employed therein at the time when or in the place where the accident happened or the disease or injury was contracte