INDECENT EXHIBITIONS ORDINANCE, 1918

INDECENT EXHIBITIONS ORDINANCE, 1918

-1918._

No. 1 of 1918, incorporated in No. 5 of 1888.
No. 2 of 1918, repealed by Law Revision Ordinance,
1924.

No. 3 of 1918.
An Ordinance to prohibit exhibitions, publications, and
advertisements of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or
offensive nature.
[31st May, 1918.]

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Indecent Exhibi-
tions Ordinance, 1918.

2. No person shall, on payment or gratuitously, expose to
public view in or near any public place, any written or
printed matter, or any picture, figure, or other thing, or any
exhibition, which is of an indecent. obscene, revolting or
olfensive nature.

3. No person shall publish in any newspaper, or by such
or any other means distribute to the public, any matter which
is of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature.

4. Every advertisement whatsoever relating to syphilis,
gonorrhoea, nervous debility, or other complaint or infirmity

arising frorn or relating to sexual intercourse, shall for the
purposes of this Ordinance be deemed to be matter of an
indecent nature: Provided that this section shall not apply
to any advertisement in any bond, fide medical newspaper,
medical book, or other medical publication.

5. Every person who contravenes any of the provisions of
this Ordinance shall upon summary conviction be liable to a
fine not exededing two hundred and fifty dollars or to impris-
onment for any term not exceeding three months.

6.-(1) Whenever it appears to a magistrate upon the oath
of any person that there is reasonable cause to suspect that
any written or printed matter, or any picture, figure, or other





thing, which is of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive
nature, is to be found in any building, vessel (not being a.
ship of war or a ship having the status of a ship of war), or
other place, such magistrate may by warrant directed to any
police officer empower him, with such assistants as may be
necessary, by day or by night to enter and if necessary to
break into or forcibly enter such building, vessel, or other
place, and to search for and take possession of any written
or printed matter, or any picture, figure, or other thine,
which appears to such police officer or to his assistants to be
of an indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature.

(2) Whereany written or printed matter or picture which
appears to such police officer or to his assistants to be of an
indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature, is contained
in any newspaper, book, magazine, or pamphlet, it shall be
lawful for such police officer and his assistants to take
possession of the whole of such newspaper, book, magazine,
or pamphlet.

7.-(1) Any written or printed matter, or picture, figure,
or other thing, taken possession of under any warrant issued
under the provisions of section 6, shall forlwith be taken
before a magistrate to be disposed of according to law.

(2) It shall be lawful for a magistrate to order to be
forfeited any written or printed matter, or any picture,
figure, or other thing, which appears to him to be of an
indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature.

(3) If any written or printed matter or picture which
appears to a magistrate to be of an indecent, obscene, revolt-
ing, or offensive nature, is contained in any newspaper, book,
magazine, or pamphlet, any order of forfeiture. made under
the provisions of this section may include the forfeiture of
the whole of such newspaper, book, magazine, or pamphlet.

(4) Every thing which is ordered to be forfeited under the
provisions of this section may be disposed of lu such manner
as a magistrate shall direct.

(5) If any written or printed matter, or picture, figure,
or other thing, which appears to a magistrate to be of an
indecent, obscene, revolting, or offensive nature, is affixed to
or painted upon any building, it shall be lawful for such

As amended by Law Rev. Ord., 1924.
magistrate to order the owner or occupier of such building
to remove or efface such written or printed matter, or picture,
figure, or other thing, and if the person against whom the
order is made falls to comply with the said order within such
time as may be limited by such magistrate, it shall be lawful
for a magistrate by order under his hand, to empower any
police officer, with such assistants as may be necessary, to
enter and if necessary to break into or forcibly enter such
building, and to remove or efface such written or printed
niatter, or picture, figure, or other thing.

[Originally No. 3 of 1918. Law Rev. Ord., 1924.] Short title. Objectionable exhibitions. Objectionable publications. Certain advertisements declared indecent. 52 & 53 Vict.c. 18, s. 5. Penalties. Search warrant. Forfeiture.

[Originally No. 3 of 1918. Law Rev. Ord., 1924.] Short title. Objectionable exhibitions. Objectionable publications. Certain advertisements declared indecent. 52 & 53 Vict.c. 18, s. 5. Penalties. Search warrant. Forfeiture.

https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/1316

1923

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No. 3 of 1918

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