ORDINANCES Nos. 5 3 AND 6 OF 1887 . 2099
Defamation and Libel. Arms.
17. A Court of Summary Jurisdiction upon the hearing of a charge Inquiry by
Magistrate as
against a proprietor, publisher, or editor, or any person responsible for to libel being
for public
benefit or
the publication of a newspaper, for a libel published therein , may receive
being true.
evidence as to the publication being for the public benefit, and as to the [44 and 45 V.
c. 60, s. 4. ]
matters charged in the libel being true, and as to the report being fair
and accurate, and published without malice, and as to any matter which
under this or any other Ordinance, or otherwise, might be given in
evidence by way of defence by the person charged on his trial on inform
ation , and the Court if of opinion after hearing such evidence that there
is a strong or probable presumption that the jury on the trial would
acquit the person charged, may dismiss the case .
18. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in Ordi Provision as
to summary
nance No. 16 of 1875 * if the Court of Sum nary Jurisdiction upon the conviction for
libel.
hearing of a charge against a proprietor, publisher, editor, or any person [44 and 45 V.
c. 60, s. 5. ]
responsible for the publication of a newspaper for a libel published therein ,
is of opinion that though the person charged is shown to have been [* Repealed
by Ordinance
No. 10 of
guilty , the libel was of a trivial character, and that the offence may be
1890. ]
adequately published by virtue of the powers of this section , such Court
shall cause the charge to be reduced into writing and read to the person
charged, and then address a question to him to the following effect :
"Do you desire to be tried by a jury or do you consent to the case being
dealt with summarily ? " and, if such person assents to the case being
dealt with summarily such Court may suminarily convict him and adjudge
him to pay a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars .
No. 6 of 1887.
An Ordinance to regulate the carrying and possession of arms .
[ 17th March, 1887. ]
E it enacted by the Governor of Hongkong, with the advice of the Legislative [See Ord. No. 4
of 1889.]
BR Council thereof, as follows :
1. This Ordinance may be cited as The Arms Ordinance, 1887. Title.
2. In this Ordinance the expression arms includes any description of fire-arms, Ordinance 22
of 1884, sec. 2.
also any sword, cutlass, spear, pike, bayonet, dagger, or other deadly weapon, also any
part of any arms as so defined. [ Repealed by Ordinance No. 4 of 1889 and new section
substituted.]