640855-1896-Bills-read-Medical-Registration-Amendment-Women-and-Girls-Protection- — Page 9

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19TH DECEMBER, 1896.

B.

Kuow all men by these presents that we

and

are held and firmly bound nuto the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty Her Heirs and Successors in the sum of $ to be paid to the Colonial Treasurer for the time being of Hongkong to which payment we bind ourselves and each of us and each of our Heirs Executors and Administrators firmly by these presents.

Sealed with our seals.

Dated this

day of

189

Now the condition of this obligation is that if one

who is now residing at Hongkong shall not quit or be taken or removed from the Colony without the previous permission in writing of the Officer for the time being performing the duties of Registrar General and shall not be trained or disposed of as a prostitute or for immoral purposes and also if the said

shall be produced from time to time before such Officer within 24 hours after notice in writing has been given to any or either of the said requiring such production

and

then this obligation to be void otherwise to remain in full force.

1217

[L.S.]

[L.S.]

4

Signed, sealed and delivered by

the above-named

and

In the presence of

Objects and Reasons.

The object of this Bill is to amend and consolidate the law relating to the protection of women and girls, and, at the same time, to introduce into this Colony certain provisions of the English Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885 (48 and 49 Vict. cap. 69) which seem to be applicable to local circum- stances.

Section 3, subsection 1, of the Bill is, as will be seen, wider in its scope than section 4, subsection 1, of Ordinance 11 of 1890, inasmuch as the new section includes bringing etc., a girl with intent to purchase her, and also with intent to take her in pledge or on hire.

Moreover the words " decoying or enticing have been introduced into the subsection, having been borrowed from section 11 of Ordinance 11 of 1890, which section has not been re-enacted in the present Bill.

It will be noted too that subsection 3 of section 3 of the Bill is wider in its scope than subsection 3 of the repealed section. It will be also observed that the words "either within or without the Colony " have been added to each subsection of section 3 in order to prevent the recurrence of a difficulty which has constantly arisen as to whether a man can be held liable whose intention is to dispose of a woman or girl so that she may become a prostitute outside "of the Colony.

Section 4 of the Bill is an exact adaptation of section 2 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885, and is much wider in its terms than section 5 of Ordinance 11 of 1890 which it supersedes..

Section 5 is a simple re-enactment of section 6 of Ordin- ance 11 of 1890.

Section 6 embodies the existing law as to criminal assaults upon girls under twelve.

Section 7 enlarges the scope of the corresponding section of Ordinance 11 of 1890 (section 7) by making it au offence to take, etc. a girl “away from the Colony" as well as to bring her "into the Colony." It also makes such taking or bringing an offence whether the prostitution is to take place within the Colony or not.

Section 8 introduces into this Colony, almost verbatim, the provisions of section 8 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, and supersedes the similar provisions of sub- section 1 of section 8 of Ordinance 11 of 1890.

Section 9 contains divers prohibitions against obtaining connexion with a woman or girl under circumstances of undue advantage.

Section 10 introduces into this Colony the provisions of section 6 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885 except that it reduces the age from thirteen to twelve.

Section 11 re-enacts, though in somewhat altered lan- guage, the provisions of section 9 of Ordinance 11 of 1890. Section 12 is a repetition with slight alterations of section 10 of Ordinance 11 of 1890.

Sections 13, 14, 15, and 16, relating to the rape and abduction of women and girls are simply re-enactments of the existing law as to offences against the person, with the exception of the last paragraph of section 13 which is taken from section 4 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885.