INDECENT EXHIBITIONS ORDINANCE, 1918
Title
INDECENT EXHIBITIONS ORDINANCE, 1918
Description
1918.
No. 1 of 1918. incorpoiated in No. 5 of r888.
No. 2 of 1918, repealed by No. 5 Of' 1924.
No. 3 of 1918.
An Ordinance to prohibit exhibitions, tublications and
advertisements of an indecent, obscene, tevolting or
offensive nature.
[31st May, 1918.]
1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Indecent Exhibitions
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 offensive 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 from 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 bona 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 exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars or to imprisonment
for any term not exceeding three months.
6.-(1) Whenever it appears to a magistrate upon the oath
of any person that there is reason able 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 thing, which appears to such police officer or
to his assistants to be of an indecent, obscene., revolting or
offensive nature.
(2) Where any 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 forthwith 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, revolting or
offensive. nature is contained in any newspaper, book, magazine
er 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) Everything which is ordered 'to be forfeited under the
provisions of this section may be disposed of in 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 magistlate 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 fails 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 matter, or picture, figure or other thing.
[Orginally No. 3 of 1918. Short title. Objectionable exhibitions. Objectionable publications. Certain advertisements declared indecent. 52 & 53 Vict. C. 18, 3. 5. Penalties. Search warant. Forfeiture
Abstract
[Orginally No. 3 of 1918. Short title. Objectionable exhibitions. Objectionable publications. Certain advertisements declared indecent. 52 & 53 Vict. C. 18, 3. 5. Penalties. Search warant. Forfeiture
Identifier
https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/1552
Edition
1937
Volume
v3
Subsequent Cap No.
390
Cap / Ordinance No.
No. 3 of 1918
Number of Pages
3
Files
Collection
Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online
Citation
“INDECENT EXHIBITIONS ORDINANCE, 1918,” Historical Laws of Hong Kong Online, accessed April 23, 2025, https://oelawhk.lib.hku.hk/items/show/1552.