Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1885

Part II.

Suppression of Brothels.

Summary proceedings against brothel keeper, &c.

25 Geo. 2. c. 36.

58 Geo. 3. c. 70.

13. Any person who—

(1.) keeps or manages or acts or assists in the management of a brothel, or

(2.) being the tenant, lessee, or occupier of any premises, knowingly permits such premises or any part thereof to be used as a brothel or for the purposes of habitual prostitution, or

(3.) being the lessor or landlord of any premises, or the agent of such lessor or landlord, lets the same or any part thereof with the knowledge that such premises or some part thereof are or is to be used as a brothel, or is wilfully a party to the continued use of such premises or any part thereof as a brothel,

shall on summary conviction in manner provided by the Summary Jurisdiction Acts be liable—

(1.) to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds, or, in the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding three months, with or without hard labour, and

(2.) on a second or subsequent conviction to a penalty not exceeding forty pounds, or, in the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding four months, with or without hard labour;

and in case of a third or subsequent conviction such person may, in addition to such penalty or imprisonment as last aforesaid, be required by the court to enter into a recognizance, with or without sureties, as to the court seems meet, to be of good behaviour for any period not exceeding twelve months, and in default of entering into such recognizance, with or without sureties (as the case may be), such person may be imprisoned for any period not exceeding three months, in addition to any such term of imprisonment as aforesaid.

Any person on being summarily convicted in pursuance of this section may appeal to a court of general or quarter sessions against such conviction.

The enactments for encouraging prosecutions of disorderly houses contained in sections five, six, and seven of the Disorderly Houses Act, 1751, as amended by the enactment contained in section seven of the Disorderly Houses Act, 1818, shall, with the necessary modifications, be deemed to apply to prosecutions under this section, and the said enactments shall, for the purposes of this section, be construed as if the prosecution in such enactments mentioned included summary proceedings under this section as well as a prosecution on indictment.