PUBLIC STORES ORDINANCE

PUBLIC STORES ORDINANCE

CHAPTER 144.

PUBLIC STORES
To take provision for the protection of Public Stores.
[1st September, 1950.]

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Public Stores Ordinance.

2. In this Ordinance 'stores' includes all goods and chattels, and
any single store or article.

3. This Ordinance shall apply to all stores under the care,
superintendence, or control of a Secretary of State or the Admiralty, or
any public department or office, or of any person in the service of His
Majesty, and such stores are in this Ordinance referred to as His
Majesty's stores. The Secretary of State, Admiralty, public department,
office, or person having the care, superintendence, or control of such
stores, is hereinafter in this Ordinance included in the expression
public department'.

4. The marks described in the Schedule to this Ordinance may be
applied in or on stores therein described in order to denote His
Majesty's property in stores so marked; and it shall be lawful for any
public department, and the contractors, officers, and workmen of such
department, to apply those marks, or any of them, in or on any such
stores ; and if any person without lawful authority (Proof of which
authority shall he on the party accused) applies any of those marks in
or on any such stores lie shall be guilty of an offence and shall on
summary conviction be liable to imprisonment for two years.

5. if any person with intent to conceal His Majesty's property in
any stores takes out, destroys, or obliterates, wholly or in part, any
such mark as aforesaid, or any mark whatsoever denoting the property
of His Majesty in any stores, fie shall be guilty of felony, and on
conviction thereof on indictment shall be liable to imprisonment for
seven years.





6. A police officer may stop search aiid detain any vessel boat or
vehicle in which there is reason to suspect that any of His Majesty's
stores stolen or unlawfully obtained may be found or any person
reasonably suspected of having or conveying in any manner any of
His Majesty's stores stolen or unlawfully obtained.

7. If any person is brought before a magistrate charged with
conveying or with having in his possession or keeping any of His
Majesty's stores reasonably suspected of being stolen or unlawfully
obtained, and does not give an account to the satisfaction of the court
how he came by the same, he shall be deemed guilty of an offence and
shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of five hundred dollars
or to imprisonment for three months.

8. It shall not be lawful for my person, without permission in
writing from the Director of Marine, or froni some person authorized by
the Director of Marine in that behalf (proof of which permission shall he
on the party accused), to gather or search for stores, or to creep,
sweep, or dredge in the sea or any tidal water, within one hundred
yards from any vessel belonging to His Majesty or in His Majesty's
service, or from any mooring place or anchoring place appropriated to
such vessels, or from any moorings belonging to His Majesty, or from
any of His Majesty's wharves, or dock, victualling, or steam factory
yards, or from any aerodrome used by the Royal Air Force.

Hong Kong Defence Force, or within one thousand vards from any
battery or fort or other place used for firingpractice by any, of the
armed forces or His Majesty or by the Hong Kong Defence Force.

Any person contravening the provisions of this section shall be
guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine
of five hundred dollars or to imprisonment for three months.

9. If stores are found in the possession or keeping of a person
being in His Majesty's service, or in the service of a public department,
or being a dealer in marine stores or in old metals, or a pawnbroker
(within the meaning of any enactments for the time in force relating to
such dealers or to pawnbrokers), and lie is taken or summoned before a
magistrate, and the magistrate sees reasonable grounds





for believing the stores found to be or to have been His Majesty's
property, then if such person does not satisfy the magistrate that he
came lawfully by the stores so found he shall be guilty of an offence
and liable on summary conviction to a fine of five hundred dollars.

10. For the purposes of of this Ordinance stores shall be
deemed to be in the possession or keeping of any person
if he knowingly has them in the actual possession or
keeping of any other person, or in any house, building,
lodging, apartment, field, or place, open or enclosed,
whether occupied by himself or not, and whether the same
are so had for his own use or benefit or for the use or
benefit of another.

11. This Ordinance shall apply to stores bearing any such mark or
part of a mark as is in this Ordinance mentioned whether applied before
or after the passing of

this Ordinance.

27 of 1950. Short title. Interpretation. Stores to which the Ordinance applies. Marks in Schedule appropriated for public stores. Obliteration with intent to concealment. Power to stop suspected boats, person, etc. Unlawful possession of His Majesty's stores. Prohibition of sweeping, etc. near dockyards, artillery ranges, etc. Penalty on dealer, etc., found in possession of stores, and not accounting for them. Criminal possession explained. Ordinance to apply to stores marked before its passing.

27 of 1950. Short title. Interpretation. Stores to which the Ordinance applies. Marks in Schedule appropriated for public stores. Obliteration with intent to concealment. Power to stop suspected boats, person, etc. Unlawful possession of His Majesty's stores. Prohibition of sweeping, etc. near dockyards, artillery ranges, etc. Penalty on dealer, etc., found in possession of stores, and not accounting for them. Criminal possession explained. Ordinance to apply to stores marked before its passing.

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