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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

A.D. 1905,

Short title,

Interpreta- tion.

ILLUSTRATIVE LEGISLATION.

BRITISH GUIANA.

ORDINANCE No. 15 of 1905.

An Ordinance to make provisions as to Lepera.

[13th May, 1905.]

Be it enacted by the Governor of British Guiana, with the advice and consent of the Court of Policy thereof, as follows:-

This Ordinance may be cited as the Lepers Ordinance, 1905.

1.

2.

In this Ordinance,—

"Leper

11

No. 5 of 1886.

means any person suffering from any variety of leprosy. Registered Medical Practitioner' the Medical Ordinance, 1886.

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meana a medical practitioner registered under

Leper Asylums.

Governor may

3. The Governor, by Proclamation to be published in the "Gazette," may declare any declare Leper buildings and the land attached thereto to be a Leper Asylum, and thereupon such buildings

and land shall be a Leper Asylum under this Ordinance.

Asylums. Leper Asylum at Mabaica.

Governor

may appoint

Officers.

Control of Asylum.

Admission

of Leper to Asylum.

Mode of

dealing with

leper wan. dering about begging, etc.

4. The buildings and land near Mahaica now actually used and occupied as a Leper Asylum, together with such other buildings and land adjacent thereto as may hereafter be erected or acquired for the same purpose, shall be deemed to be and the same are hereby declared to be a Leper Asylum under this Ordinance.

5. (1) The Governor shall, from time to time in his discretion, appoint a registered Medical Practitioner to perform the duties of Medical Superintendent for auy Leper Asylum, and such staff as may be necessary.

(2.) The Surgeon-General, subject to the direction of the Governor, shall have the control and management of every Leper Asylum.

Admission to Asylum.

6.(1.) Whenever it shall be made to appear to a Magistrate that any person within the limits of his jurisdiction is probably a leper, it shall be lawful for such Magistrate upon the application of any person legally bound to maintain the supposed leper, to hold an enquiry into the case, and if such Magistrate is satisfied that the supposed leper is a leper and that he has become or is likely to become a burden upon the person legally bound to maintain him, it shall be lawful for such Magistrate by warrant under his hand to order the detention of such leper in a Leper Asylum until he is discharged by order of the Governor and the person legally bound to maintain such leper shall pay every month to the Government during the detention of such leper such sum for his maintenance as the Magistrate, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, shall order.

(2.) Any Magistrate, on its being certified to him by any Registered Medical Practitioner that any person within his jurisdiction is a leper, and on its being further certified by such regis- tered Medical Practitioner or by any officer of the Poor Law Commissioners, or officer in charge of any public institution, or Justice of the Peace, that such person is a fit subject for gratuitous relief, may, on application by or on behalf of such person, make an order for such person to be admitted into a Leper Asylum and to be maintained there, free of charge, until discharged by order of the Governor, as hereinafter provided. (5 of 1870, s. 6, amended.)

7.-1.) It shall be lawful for any Magistrate, on information upon oath of any credible witness, that any leper has been wandering about begging or collecting alms, or seeking precarious support, or exposing his leprosy in any public road, street, or place, to summon such leper to appear before him, or if he thinks it necessary, such Magistrate shall issue a warrant, under his hand, directed to any constable or officer of Police, authorizing or directing such constable or officer of Police to cause any such leper to be brought before him at a time and place to be specified in such summons or warrant.

(2.) Any officer of Police may arrest without warrant any leper whom he finds wandering about begging or collecting alms, or seeking precarious support, or exposing his leprosy in any public road, street, or place, and shall as soon as possible thereafter bring him before a magistrate, to be dealt with as hereinafter provided.

(3.) If, on the hearing of the case, it is proved to the satisfaction of auch Magistrate that such supposed leper is a leper, and it is made further to appear, upon the oath of some credible witness, that such leper has been seen wandering abroad begging or collecting alme, or seeking precarious support, or exposing his leprosy on any public road, street, or place, then it shall and may be lawful for such Magistrate, unless security is given as hereinaft provided, to make an order for the removal and conveyance of such leper to a Leper Asylum, and any constable or officer of Police, thereto directed by such Magistrate, shall remove and convey such leper to a Leper Asylum, there to be detained until discharged by order of the Governor, as hereinafter provided.

(4.) If, on the hearing of the case, the leper or any one on his behalf, gives security to the Crown Solicitor, by a bond to his satisfaction to the amount of ninety-six dollars, that such person shall be properly isolated and maintained and treated in private, and shall not be suffered to be at large, the Magistrate may abstain from making an order of removal. The amount so secured shall be recoverable by parate execution. (5 of 1870, s. 7 amended.)

(5.) If it be proved to the satisfaction of a Magistrate that any leper as to whom security has been given under section 7 (4) hereof is not maintained in a state of isolation from the

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general public, it shall be lawful for such Magistrate, by warrant under his hand, to order the detention of such leper in a Leper Asylum until he is discharged by order of the Governor.

8. The Surgeon-General may, on the application of any leper able to support himself, Admission to admit such leper to any Leper Asylum; and such admission shall be on such terms and yum of conditions, as to payment for maintenance and in other respects, as to the Governor may support him-

Such leper shall remain in the Leper Asylum until discharged by order of the self. Governor as hereinafter provided. (5 of 1870, s. 8 amended.)

seem meet.

leper able to

tenced to

9. When any leper is sentenced to imprisonment for any offence, or for the non-payment per n of any money or penalty, the Judge or Magistrate inflicting the imprisonment shall order imprisonment that such leper shall be committed to a Leper Asylum to undergo such imprisonment and c to be detained thereafter until discharged by order of the Governor.

mitted to Asylum.

Power to

apportion part

of Asylum for

10. (1.) The Governor may by Proclamation to be published in the "Gazette" set apart any portions of any Leper Asylum as places in which lepers sentenced to imprisonment or who have been certified as suffering from lunacy shall respectively be detained, and any such prisoners and lopers may lawfully be detained therein, any law to the contrary notwithstanding.

(2.) When the term of imprisonment expires, or the lunatic recovers his sanity, then, unless the Medical Superintendent certifies in writing that any such person may be discharged without detriment to himself or others, such person shall be retained in the Asylum as an ordinary leper.

(3.) The Governor-in-Council may make rules as to the management of such portions so set apart and as to the treatment and discipline of the persons detained therein.

(4.) The portion set apart for lepers sentenced to imprisonment shall be deemed and taken to be a prison and shall be under the sole control of the Surgeon-General.

leper in one Asylum to another,

Power to order

11. The inmates of any Leper Asylum may at any time, by order of the Governor, be removal of removed therefrom to any other Leper Asylum. (5 of 1870, 8. 3).

12. Every person received into a Leper Asylum under any warrant or order issued under Capture of the provisions of this Ordinance may be detained therein until he be removed or discharged, lepers escap and in case of escape may by virtue of such warrant or order be captured by any officer or servant of such Asylum, or any police constable or other person, and may be conveyed to

ing from and received into and detained in such Asylum.

Asylum.

Discharge from Asylum.

13. The Governor may, in his absolute discretion, order the discharge of any inmate Governor of a Leper Asylum, not being a prisoner under sentence of imprisonment, upon security being may dis- given by some person on behalf of such inmate, to the Crown Solicitor by bond in the sum of ninety-six dollars that such inmate shall be properly isolated, maintained, and treated in

charge from Asylum. private, and shall not be suffered to be at large. The amount so secured shall be recoverable by parate execution. (5 of 1870, s. 9, amended.)

14. Whenever it appears to the Medical Superintendent of a Leper Asylum that any Discharge inmate thereof is fit to be discharged therefrom, such Medical Superintendent shall certify of leper on the same to the Governor; and thereupon it shall and may be lawful for the Governor to certificate of direct that such person shall be discharged. (5 of 1870, s. 14.)

Prohibition of Certain Trades to Lepers.

Medical Superinten- dent.

certain trades

to leper Schedule.

15. No leper shall carry on any of the trades or callings specified in the Schedule to Prohibition of this Ordinance, or any other trade or calling which the Governor-in-Council may from time to time by Order to be published in the "Gazette," prohibit lepers from carrying on.

16.1.) Any leper who shall carry on any trade or calling as aforesaid, and any person Penalty for who shall knowingly employ a leper in any such trade or calling, shall be liable to a fine carrying on not exceeding fifty dollars, and any leper so convicted may be committed to a Leper Asylum, prohibited to be detained there till discharged by order of the Governor.

(2.) Any person knowing himself to be a leper who shall enter any public vehicle or lodge in any hotel, boarding house or lodging house, or enter any shop where food or drink is sold to be consumed on the premises, or bathe in any public bath, and the proprietor or person in charge of any such public vehicle, hotel, boarding house, lodging house, shop, or bath, who shall knowingly allow any leper to enter the same shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding fifty dollars, and any leper so convicted may be committed to a Leper Asylum to be detained there till discharged by order of the Governor.

trade.

17(1.) If any leper sells any article of food or drink which has been prepared or Sale of food, handled by him or with which he has come in contact, he shall be liable, on summary con- &c., prepared viction, to a fine not exceeding fifty dollars, and may be committed to a Leper Asylum to by a leper. be detained there until discharged by order of the Governor.

(2.) If any person knowingly sells any article of food or drink which has been prepared or handled by a leper or with which a leper has come in contact, he shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding fifty dollars or to imprisonment with or without hard labour for any period not exceeding one month, or to both.

Landing of Lepers Prohibited,

18. No leper, who is not a native of the Colony or lawfully domiciled therein, shall Landing of land at any of the ports of the Colony from any place not within the Colony, and the master lepers pro- or other person in charge of any vessel who suffers or omits to prevent the landing from hibited. such vessel at any such port of any person whom he knows or has reasonable grounds to suppose to be a leper shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars.

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