THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 5тп AUGUST, 1899.
A BILL
ENTITLED
An Ordinance to amend "The Protection of
Women and Girls Ordinance, 1897."
Be it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-
1. This Ordinance may be cited as "The Protection of Short title Women and Girls Ordinance, 1897, Amendment Ordinance, and construc- 1899," and shall be read and construed as one with that tion. Ordinance which is hereinafter referred to as the principal Ordinance.
2. The expression "Keeper" as used in this Ordinance Interpreta- shall include any person having or appearing to have the tion. care or management or control of the brothel in question; and the expressions "brothel," and "owner," and "occupier" shall have the same meaning as in Ordinance 9 of 1897.
3. The following new section to be numbered 11A shall New section be inserted after section 11 of the principal Ordinance : — 11A.
a woman
remain in a
"1A-Every person who, being the occupier or Penalty for
keeper of any brothel, permits any woman suffer- permitting ing from any contagious disease to be or remain suffering in such brothel for the purpose of prostitution, from shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable contagious on conviction before the Supreme Court or a Magis- disease to trate to imprisonment for a term not exceeding brothel. oue year or to a fiue not exceeding five hundred dollars or to both; and if any person, not being a natural born or naturalized British subject, who has been previously convicted of an offence under this section, shall again be found guilty of such an offence the Governor-in-Council may issue an Order banishing such person from the Colony under any Banishment laws which may from time to time be in force in this Colony.
In the case of any prosecution under this section, it shall not be necessary for the prosecution to prove that such occupier or keeper as aforesaid knew that the woman was suffering from a contagious discase, but such knowledge shall be presumed by the Court or Magistrate unless such occupier or keeper satisfies the Court or Magistrate that he had not such knowledge."
the com- plaint of the Captain Su- perintendent of Police or of the Registrar General.
4. Upon complaint laid before a Magistrate by the Closing of Captain Superintendent of Police or by the Registrar brothels on General that any house or portion thereof is used as a lodging house for prostitutes or disorderly persons or as a brothel, it shall be lawful for the Magistrate to issue a sum- mons to the occupier or keeper of the house or portion thereof of which complaint is made; and upon the hearing of the case if the Magistrate is satisfied that the house or some portion thereof is used in the manner complained of he may order the occupier or keeper to discontinue such use of it; and if such order is not complied with within such time as the Magistrate may by his order direct the Magistrate may impose upon such occupier or keeper a finc not exceeding fifty dollars for every day that the house or any portion thereof shall be so used after the time directed by the Magistrate's Order.
The provisions of the Magistrates Ordinance, 1890, relating to summary procedure shall apply to proceedings under this section.
The provisious of this section shall be in addition to Saving of those contained in section 4 of Ordinance No. 6 of 1894.
powers in Ordinance 6 of 1894,
5. After the use of any premises as a brothel has been Liability of discontinued under the provisions of section 4 of this Ordi- owner. nance, the owner of such premises shall, if such premises are found to be again in use as a brothel, be liable upon summary conviction before a Magistrate to the payment of a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.
6. Any European Officer of Police not being below the Power to rank of sergeant who is generally authorized in writing for visit disord. that purpose by the Captain Superintendent of Police and erly houses. any person who is generally authorised in writing by the Registrar General for that purpose may at all times without
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