Police Offences (Amendment) Act 1908 (NSW)

Act No. 12, 1908.

A n Act to prevent so l ic i t ing for the purpose

of pros t i tu t ion; to regulate the k e e p i n g of

opium ; to amend the Pr isons Act , 1899, the Po l ice Offences Act , 1901, the Obscene and Indecent Publ icat ions Act , 1901, the

P o i s o n s Act , 1902, the Vagrancy Act , 1902,

the Vagrancy ( A m e n d m e n t ) Act , 1905, the

J u s t i c e s Act , 1902, and the G a m i n g and

B e t t i n g Act , 1906; and for other purposes

inc idental thereto . [5th December, 1908.]

P A R T

Assembly of N e w South Wales in Pa r l i amen t assembled, and by the BE it enac ted t he advice and consent of t he Legis la t ive Council and Legis la t ive

by t h e K i n g ' s Mos t Exce l l en t Majesty, by and wi th

au thor i ty of t he same, as follows :—

P A R T I .

P R E L I M I N A R Y .

1. This A c t may be cited as t h e " Police Offences ( A m e n d m e n t )

Act , 190S ," and is divided in to Pa r t s , as follows :—

P A R T I . — P R E L I M I N A R Y — S S . 1-2.

P A R T I I . — V A G R A N C Y A C T S — S S . 3 - 7 .

P A R T I I P — P O L I C E O F F E N C E S A C T , 1 9 0 1 — s s . 8 - 1 5 .

P A R T I V . — P R I S O N S A C T , 1 8 9 9 — S . 1 0 .

P A R T V . — O B S C E N E AND I N D E C E N T P U B L I C A T I O N S A C T , 1 9 0 1 —

s. 1 7 .

P A R T V I . — O P I U M — S S . 1 8 - 2 0 .

P A R T V I I . — G A M I N G A N D B E T T I N G A C T , 1 9 0 0 — s . 2 1 .

P A R T V I I I . — J U S T I C E S A C T , 1 9 0 2 — S S . 2 2 - 2 3 .

2.    The Acts men t ioned in t he Schedule are, to t h e ex t en t the re in

expressed, hereby repealed.

P A R T I I .

V A G R A N C Y A C T S , 1 9 0 2 , A N D 1 9 0 5 .

3. Sect ion three of t he V a g r a n c y Act , 1 9 0 2 , is amended by t h e

addi t ion to t he definition of " a b o r i g i n a l " in t h a t section of t h e words

" or of a n y o ther Sta te of t he Commonwea l th of A u s t r a l i a . "

4. Section four, subsect ion two, of t h e same Act , is hereby

amended b y the addi t ion of the following p a r a g r a p h s —

(l) in or nea r any publ ic place or place of publ ic resort , or in or nea r any house or premises licensed unde r t he L iquor Act , 1 8 9 8 , or t he Bill iards and Bagate l le Act , 1 9 0 2 , or a n y Acts amend ing the same, engages in p l ay ing or be t t ing , or solicits or encourages any o ther person to p lay or be t—

(i) a t or wi th any table or i n s t r u m e n t of g a m i n g a t any game

or pre tended game of c h a n c e ; or

(ii) a t or on any game or t r ick of s le ight of h a n d ; or

(iii) a t or on any game or t r ick played wi th any i n s t r u m e n t wh ich

in t he opinion of t h e ad judica t ing jus t i ce is cons t ructed

or used as a means of c h e a t i n g ;

(m)	be ing a k n o w n or r epu ted cheat , loiters in or near any publ ic place or place of publ ic resort , or in or near a n y premises licensed u n d e r the L i q u o r Act , 1 8 9 8 , or t he Bil l iards and
Bagate l le Act , 1 9 0 2 , or any Acts a m e n d i n g t h e same, and
has in his possession any i n s t r u m e n t of gaming , or any

i n s t r u m e n t which in the opinion of t he ad judica t ing jus t ice , is cons t ruc ted or used as a means of cheat ing, unless such person accounts for his h a v i n g such i n s t r u m e n t in his possession, to t he satisfaction of t he ad judica t ing jus t ice ;

(n)	pretends or professes to tell fortunes, or uses any subtle craft, means , or device, b y pa lmis t ry or otherwise , to deceive and
impose on any p e r s o n ; (o)

(o) be ing a male person—

(i) knowing ly lives wholly or in pa r t on t he earn ings of

p ro s t i t u t i on ; or

(ii) in any publ ic place solicits or impor tunes for i m m o r a l

purposes .

For t he purpose of p a r a g r a p h (o), where a male person is proved to live wi th or to be hab i tua l ly in t he company of a pros t i tu te , and has no visible means of subsistence, he shall, unless he satisfies t h e adjudicat ing jus t ice to the cont rary , be deemed to be knowing ly l iv ing

on the ea rn ings of p ros t i tu t ion .

5. The same section is fur ther amended ,—

(1) by t he addi t ion of t he words " or by common pros t i tu tes " a t

t h e end of p a r a g r a p h (e) of subsect ion one ; and

( 2 )	by t h e addit ion of t h e following p a r a g r a p h	after pa rag raph	(h)
of subsect ion one :—

(i)   Being a common prostitute, solicits or importunes for immora l purposes , any person who is in any publ ic s treet , t ho rough fare, or place.

( 3 ) by the addit ion of t h e following words a t the end of subsection

o n e : —

Provided t h a t w h e n a female is arrested for any

offence included under pa r ag raph (i) of th is subsection, t he

convic t ing jus t ice m a y —

(i) commi t t he female to be deta ined for any period not
exceeding twelve m o n t h s in an ins t i tu t ion estab­

lished by t h e Governor as a reformatory for t he

purposes of th i s A c t ; or

(ii) impose impr i sonment as aforesaid ; or

(iii) by his sentence impose e i ther of the above penal t ies ,

and suspend the execut ion of such sentence upon

such t e rms and condi t ions as he m a y t h i n k fit,

which he shal l embody in his recorded decision of
the case for t ransmiss ion to t he Minister .

I f any female whose sentence has been so suspended fails to observe any of such t e r m s and condit ions she m a y be arres ted by a n y officer of police and b r o u g h t before any jus t ice , and on proof of such failure on her par t be ing given to his satisfaction such jus t ice m a y direct t h a t t h e or iginal sentence be p u t in to force, and may give al l orders and g r a n t

such war ran t s as m a y be necessary for such enforcement .

( 4 ) by t h e omission of t h e word " f requents " a n d t h e subs t i tu t ion

therefor of the words " is found in or on " in pa rag raph	(j)
of subsect ion two .	6.

6. The following sections are inserted next after section eight:—

8A. Every person who, in or near any public street, thorough­

fare, or place, or within the view or hearing of any person passing
therein—

(a) behaves in a riotous, indecent, offensive, threatening, or insulting manner; or

(b) uses any threatening, abusive, or insulting words,

shall be liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding five pounds, and may, in addition thereto or in substitution therefor, be required

by the adjudicating justice to enter into a recognizance, with or

without sureties, to be of good behaviour for a term not exceeding twelve months, and, in default of its being entered into forthwith, the defendant may be imprisoned for any period not exceeding six months, unless such recognizance is sooner entered into.

8B. I f any person, being the owner, occupier, or agent of any

house, room, or place, or being a manager or assistant in the management thereof, induces or suffers any female whom he knows to

be a common prostitute to be in that house, room, or place for the

purpose of prostitution, he shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds, or, in the discretion of the justices, to be imprisoned

for any term not exceeding six months.

I f any owner of a house, room, or other place has reasonable

grounds to suspect that the same is used in contravention of this
section, he may serve on the occupier a notice to quit.

The serving of such notice shall determine as from the seventh day after the date of such service any tenancy under which the

occupier may hold, whether as tenant or subtenant, as if the same had

expired by effluxion of time. The owner may thereupon, without any authority other than this Act, take legal proceedings to evict, and may

evict, such occupier.

Such notice shall be served personally on the occupier, but the notice on some conspicuous part of the said house, room, or	if he cannot be found service may be effected by posting a copy of	place.
Any such notice to quit may be cancelled by the court before whom the proceedings are heard, subject to such terms as it thinks
fit, on the hearing, on proof that the occupier has not at any time
allowed the house, room, or place to be used in contravention of this
section.
No conviction under this section shall exempt the offender from any penalty or other punishment to which he may be liable for keeping or being concerned in keeping a brothel or disorderly house,
or for the nuisance thereby occasioned.

8C.

8c. Where any person is accused of being an idle or disorderly

person on the ground that he has no visible lawful means of support,
or that he has insufficient lawful means of support, proof that he
possesses money or property shall not be a defence unless it is also proved by the defendant that such money or property was obtained
by him honestly and in a bona fide manner.
7. (1) Section two of the Vagrancy (Amendment) Act, 1905, is amended by omitting the word " and" after the word " f an - t an" .and inserting after the word "pak-a-pu" the words "and two-up," and by inserting after the word " c h a n c e " the words " o r the disposal of money by lottery or chance."

(2) Section three of the same Act is amended by inserting

after the word " game " the words " or in any such disposal of money

by lottery or chance."

P A R T I I I .

POLICE OFFENCES ACT, 1 9 0 1 .

8. (1) Section six: is amended by the omission of the words

"one pound " and the substitution in lieu thereof of the words " two
pounds"

(2) Section seven is amended by the omission of the

words " two pounds" and the substitution in lieu thereof of the

words " three pounds "

9. The following section is inserted next after section eight:—
8A. Whosoever carries in any street or public place or sells

any detonator stick, explosive stick, or metal contrivance whereby detonators or explosive matter of any description may be exploded, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding two pounds.

10. Section nine is amended by inserting after the word

" m a k e s " in the sentence "makes any bonfire" the words "or assists
in making."

11. The following section shall be read as and in place of

section twenty seven :—

27. Whosoever being charged before a justice with—

(a) having anything in his custody; or

(b) knowingly having anything in the custody of another person;

or

(c) knowingly having anything in a house, building, lodging, apartment, held, or other place, whether belonging to or occupied by himself or not, or whether such thing is there had, or placed for his own use or the use of another,

which

which thing may he reasonably suspected of being stolen or unlawfully obtained, does not give an account to the satisfaction of such justice how he came by the same, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three; months.

12. ( 1 ) Section twenty-eight is amended by omitting the word

"dwell ing" where it occurs in that section, and inserting after the word " h o u s e " each time it occurs the words "building, lodging, apartment, field."

(2) The same section is amended by omitting the words

" a n y chief constable or inspector of police," and inserting in lieu

thereof the words "any constable" ; and by omitting the words "such

chief constable or inspector " where they occur in the section, and
substituting in lieu thereof the words " such constable."

(3) Section twenty-nine is amended by omitting the words

"having or conveying anything stolen or unlawfully obtained," and inserting in lieu thereof the words " an offence under section twenty- seven " ; and by omitting the words " the same " where first occurring, and inserting "anything the subject of such charge."

13. Section thirty-two is amended by the addition of the

following subsection next after subsection three :—

(3A) In such further order the justice may, in his discretion,

order that if the person against whom such order is made does not

forfeit or pay to the party aggrieved the amount of the value so

determined, he shall be imprisoned in accordance with the provisions
of section eighty-two of the Justices Act, 1902 ; but if the justice
does not so order, then the aforesaid further order shall, together with any order for costs made against the defendant, operate as an order

for the payment of money under the Small Debts Recovery Act, 1899,

and any Act amending the same, and he enforceable as such order under the provisions of the said last-mentioned Acts. Such order for such purpose may be entered in the records of the small debts court
exercising jurisdiction at the petty sessions where such order was

last-mentioned Acts. made in such manner as may be prescribed by rules made under the 14. ( 1 ) Section-fifty-eight subsection one is amended by—

(a) omitting the words " petty misdemeanour " and substituting therefor the words "offence punishable on summary conviction

by a fine or penalty not exceeding ten pounds" ; and

(b) omitting the words " said city or towns " and inserting in lieu

thereof the word " state " ; and

(c) inserting at the end of the subsection the following proviso: Provided that such recognizance shall be good and have

effect according to the terms thereof, notwithstanding

the fact that, on subsequent investigation, it appears that the said person would, under the said charge, be

liable to a penalty exceeding ten pounds. (2)

(2) Subsection four of the same section is amended by

omitting the words " or within one hour thereafter "

15. Section one hundred and one is amended by inserting next

after subsection one the following subsection :—

(1A) A police magistrate or any two justices may, at the

request of his employer, or of the council of a municipality or shire, and subject to the approval of the Inspector-General of Police, in

like manner nominate and appoint any person employed as a caretaker,
night watchman, or in any similar capacity, as a special constable for
such time as such magistrate or justices may think fit.

The provisions of this Part relating to special constables who have been called out shall apply to all special constables appointed under this subsection from the time when such constables have taken the oath as in the next subsection provided.

The Inspector-General of Police may, whenever he thinks fit, suspend or determine the services of any such special constable.

Notice of such suspension or determination of service shall he

forthwith sent by the Inspector-General of Police to the Colonial

Secretary.

P A R T I V .

PRISONS A C T , 1 8 9 9 .

16. Section thirty-seven of the Prisons Act, 1 8 9 9 , is amended—

(a) by the insertion after the word "hard" in subsection one of the words " o r l igh t" and after the word " h e " of the words

" or any other justice " ; and

(b) by the addition of the following subsection to be read after

subsection one :—

(2) Any offender who refuses to obey an order given by

any officer of the police force, attached to such watch-house or lock-up, in pursuance of such direction, or who is guilty of idleness or

negligence in obeying such order, or in his work, may be brought before any justice at such watch-house or lock-up, and, on conviction

of such refusal, idleness, or negligence, be liable to the punishment

mentioned in subsection two of section fourteen.

P A R T

P A R T V.

OBSCENE AND INDECENT PUBLICATIONS A C T , 1 9 0 1 .

17. Section sixteen of the Obscene and Indecent Publications

Act, 1 9 0 1 , is amended by the insertion after the word " sells " in

paragraph (a) of the words "or has in his possession apparently for

the purpose of sale."'

P A R T V I .

O P I U M .

18. For the purposes of this Part, "op ium" includes any

preparation thereof in a form capable of being used for the purposes
of smoking.

19. (1) No person shall—

(a) unless the holder of a certificate to deal in poisons, issued under the provisions of the Poisons Act, 1 9 0 2 , or any Act amending the same, sell, or have in his possession, opium ;

(b) smoke opium ;

(c)	keep open, manage, or assist in keeping open or managing, any house, room, or place used for the purpose of opium smoking;
(d)	being the owner or lessee of any house, room, or place, knowingly permit such house, room, or place to be used for the purpose of opium smoking.

Any person contravening the provisions of this section shall

be liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding fifty pounds.

Such penalty may be recovered before a stipendiary or police magistrate or any two justices of the peace.	( 2 ) Nothing in this section shall apply to the possession or
sale of—

(a)	opium when made up or compounded as a medicine by a medical practitioner or according to the prescription of a medical practitioner ;
(b)	opium in the form of homoeopathic medicine, unless in the crude state, mother tincture, or of a greater strength than the third potency;

(e) patent medicines ;

(d)	medicines dispensed by veterinary surgeons for animals under their treatment;
(e)	fly poison papers and packets of poisonous mixtures for the
destruction of vermin, when marked as such. 20.

20. (1) I f any constable has reasonable cause to suspect that there is in any house or place opium, in contravention of this Act, or that opium is being smoked therein, he may, with the authority in writing of a magistrate or a superintendent of police, enter such house

or place and make search.

I f opium is found in any such house or place, or in the possession

of any person, the constable may demand the production of the said
certificate from the owner or occupier of such house or place, or from

the person in whose possession the opium is found, and if such

certificate is not produced, may forthwith seize the opium, and arrest

any person present who he has reasonable grounds to suspect is contravening the provisions of the last preceding section and take him
before a stipendiary or police magistrate, or any two justices of the

peace, and there charge him with such offence.

(2) The opium so seized shall be forfeited and disposed of

as the adjudicating magistrate or justices may direct.

(3) Any person resisting or aiding or abetting in the

resistance to any constable in the execution of his duty under this

section shall be liable to a penalty not exceding fifty pounds.

P A R T V I I .

GAMING AND R E T T I N G A C T , 1 9 0 6 .

21. Subsection (a) of section three of the Gaming and Retting

Act, 1 9 0 6 , is amended by inserting after the word "p lay ing" the

words " or taking part i n" ; and by inserting after the word " therein" the words " or for giving or selling any ticket or chance, or share in a

ticket or chance, for the disposal of money by lottery or chance, or for aiding or taking part in the disposal of money by lottery or chance."

P A R T V I I I .

J U S T I C E S ACT, 1 9 0 2 .

22. Section eighty-two is amended as follows:—

(a) In subsection one, by the insertion after the words " In no

case" of the words "except where the conviction or order is

made against a corporate body."

(b) In subsection two, by the insertion after the words " Justices making the conviction or order shall " of the words "except where the conviction or order is made against a corporate body."

D (c)

(c) By the insertion of the following subsection after subsection two:—

Whenever any corporate body is, by any conviction or

order, adjudged to pay any line, penalty, sum of money, or costs, such

conviction or order shall operate as an order for the payment of money

under the Small Debts Recovery Act, 1899, and any Act amending the same, and be enforceable as such order under the provisions of the said Acts. For such purpose such conviction or order may be entered in the records of the small debts court exercising jurisdiction at the petty sessions where such order or conviction was made in such manner as may be prescribed by rules made under the said Acts.

23. Section thirteen of the Justices Act, 1902, is amended by

the addition of the following proviso :—

Provided further, that nothing in this Part of this Act shall abridge or prejudice the powers of any justice, authorised by the Governor for that purpose in the Government Gazette, to hear and determine offences under sections six and seven of the Police Offences

Act, 1901.

SCHEDULE.

Reference to Act. Short title. Extent of repeal.

1 Edw. V1.T, No. Police- Offences Ac t , 1901 Sections 27, 110, 1 1 1 , and

112.

2 Edw. VII, No. 7 4 . . . Vagrancy Act, 1 9 0 2 Section 4, subs. 1 (c) and

2 (f); section 8.

Act