PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT ORDINANCE

PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT ORDINANCE

CHAPTER 172.

PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT
REGULATION.

To consolidate and amend the law relating to Places of
Public entertainment.

[31st October, 1919.]

1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Places of
Public Entertainment Ordinance.

2. In this Ordinance-
'entertainment' includes any concert, stage Play, stage
performance, cinematograph display, exhibition of
dancing, conjuring or juggling, acrobatic performance,
boxing contest or circus, or any other entertainment of
a similar character;
'public entertain ment' means any entertainment, as above
defined, to which the general public are admitted with
or without payment for admission.

3. It shall not be lawful for any person to keep or
use any permanent or temporary building or matshed for
any public entertainment without a licence to be granted as
licreinafter provided, under a penalty of two hundred dollars
for every day on which such building or matshed has been
so kept or used for the purpose aforesaid.

4. (1) Ne person shall advertise, present or carry
on any cinematograph display to which the public are
invited, or cause any such display to be advertised,
presented or carried on, except under a permit in writing
from the Commissioner of Police, who shall have full
discretion to grant, withhold or cancel the same, and in the
case of a cinematograph display at a Chinese theatre to
which the public are invited, such person must also obtain
a permit in writing for such perforniance from the Secretary
for Chinese Affairs.

(2) No such permit by the Commissioner of Police
shall be given until the film or films to be used at such
display and the poster or posters in connexion therewith
have been censored aiid passed in accordance with such





regulations as may be made for the purpose under this
Ordinance, and any film or poster, when once censored
and passed as aforesaid, shall not be altered or added to
in any way whatsoever without a fresh censoring aiid
passing.

5. Aily person who advertises, presents or carries oil
any cinematograph display to which the public are admitted,
or causes tile saille to be advertised, presented or carried
on, without the permit of the Commissioner of Police shall
upon summary conviction be liable to a lline of two thousand
dollars.

6. (1) No person shall sell, or offer or exhibit or
have in his possession for sale, or solicit the purchase of,
any ticket or voucher authorizing or purporting to authorize
admission to any place of public entertainment licensed
tinder this Ordinance or aily place with respect to which
duty on payments for admission is payable under the
Entertainments Tax Ordinance-
(a) in any public thoroughfare, or in the entrance liall
of, or approaches to, any SLICII place as aforesaid,
except at a box-office, booth, turnstile or counter
appointed by the proprietor or mana er of such
place or by the organizer of the entertainment,
exhibition, performance, amusement, game or sport
held therein, or
(b)at a price exceeding the aniount lixed by such
proprietor, rnanager or organizer to be charged
therefor, inclusive of the duty, if any, payable.

(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of this
section shall Lipon surnmary conviction be liable to a fine
of two thousand dollars. [5A]

7. The Governor in Council may by regulations
prescribe or provide for-
(a)the mode of application for licences for any
building, whether permanent or temporary, or for
any matshed, to be used for any public entertain-
ment, and the issue of such licences to such person,
for such period of time and during such hours, as
may. be respectively determined in every such
licence ;





(b) cancellation of any such licence;
(c)payment of fees in respect of 'all or any of such
licences;
(d)the materials of which any such licensed building
or matshed is to be constructed, and regulating
the mode of building, staircases, corridors,
gangways, vestibules, seating accommodation,
entrances, exits, doors and fastenings, and all
other matters appertaining to the same;
(e)exercise of all such measures as may be prescribed
in any such regulation against overcrowding, and
for the control aiid prevention of fire in any such
building or matshed, and for the maintenance of
the sanitary condition of such building or matshed;
maintenance of peace and good order in any such
building or matshed;
(g)entry and inspection of any such building or
matshed at any time by the Commissioner of Police,
the Building Authority aiid any other officer
authorized by the Governor in that behalf;
(h)censoring of cinematograph films and posters in
such manner and on such principles as may be
prescribed in such regulations;
(i)fees to be paid in respect of such censoring;
(j) any conditions whatsoever for any licence, permit
or permission to be given under this Ordinance
or under any regulations made thereunder;
(k) the imposition of penalties for breach of any
regulations made in pursuance of this section and
the mode of recovery of the same; and
(l) generally carrying into effect the provisions of this
Ordinance. [6]

8. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Ordinance no
person shall advertise, present or carry on any public enter-
tainment without a permit from the Secretary for Chinese
Affairs, the Commissioner of Police, or the District
Commissioner.

(2) Every such permit may be conditional and shall be
revocable by the issuing officer and shall be issued to one
person only by name, the words 'and others' being added
after such person's name.





(3) The person so named shall be responsible for the
due observance of all the conditions of the permit and shall,
if so required, furnish security for the observance thereof.

(4) Every person who contravenes the provisions of
this section shall upon summary conviction be liable to a
fine of two thousand dollars. [7]
Originally 22 of 1919. Fraser 22 of 1919. 2 of 1941. 22 of 1950. Short title. Interpretation. [cf. Cap. 114, s. 2.] Licences for places of public entertainment. Permits required for Cinematograph displays. Censoring of films and posters. [s. 4 cont.] Penalty for presenting cinemas without permit. 22 of 1950, Schedule. Restrictions on the unauthorized sale of tickets. 2 of 1941, s. 2. (Cap. 110). 22 of 1950, Schedule. Power to make regulations for places of public entertainment. Permits for public entertainments. [s. 8 cont.] 22 of 1950, Schedule.

Originally 22 of 1919. Fraser 22 of 1919. 2 of 1941. 22 of 1950. Short title. Interpretation. [cf. Cap. 114, s. 2.] Licences for places of public entertainment. Permits required for Cinematograph displays. Censoring of films and posters. [s. 4 cont.] Penalty for presenting cinemas without permit. 22 of 1950, Schedule. Restrictions on the unauthorized sale of tickets. 2 of 1941, s. 2. (Cap. 110). 22 of 1950, Schedule. Power to make regulations for places of public entertainment. Permits for public entertainments. [s. 8 cont.] 22 of 1950, Schedule.

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