A c t N o . 11, 1908.
A n A c t for t h e d e t e n t i o n and cure of p r i s o n e r s
suffering from certain d i s e a s e s ; and for
p u r p o s e s c o n s e q u e n t t h e r e o n or i n c i d e n t a l
thereto.
[3rd December, 1908.]
B
E it e n a c t e d b y t h e K i n g ' s M o s t E x c e l l e n t M a j e s t y , b y a n d w i t h
t h e advice a n d consent of t h e Legislative C o u n c i l a n d Legislative
A s s e m b l y of N e w S o u t h W a l e s in P a r l i a m e n t assembled, a n d by t h e
a u t h o r i t y of t h e same, as follows :—
Preliminary.
1. This A c t m a y be cited as t h e " P r i s o n e r s D e t e n t i o n A c t ,
a n d shall c o m m e n c e on t h e first day of J a n u a r y , one t h o u s a n d
nine hundred and nine.
2. I n this A c t —
" C o n t a g i o u s d i s e a s e " m e a n s venereal d i s e a s e , i n c l u d i n g gonorrhoea.
" C o n v i c t e d " m e a n s convicted, w h e t h e r s u m m a r i l y or o t h e r w i s e ,
of a n offence p u n i s h a b l e b y i m p r i s o n m e n t or p e n a l servitude.
" C o u r t " m e a n s c o u r t b y or before w h i c h t h e person in q u e s t i o n
is convicted.
" L o c k h o s p i t a l " m e a n s hospital or p a r t of a hospital or of a
p u b l i c gaol, prison, or house of correction, or of a place of
d e t e n t i o n declared to be a lock h o s p i t a l for t h e purposes of
this Act.
" M a g i s t r a t e " m e a n s s t i p e n d i a r y m a g i s t r a t e or police m a g i s t r a t e .
1908,"
Lock
hospitals.
3 . ( 1 ) T h e Governor, b y p r o c l a m a t i o n in t h e G a z e t t e , m a y
declare a n y hospital, or a n y p a r t of a hospital or of a p u b l i c gaol,
prison, or house of correction, or of a place of d e t e n t i o n to be a lock
hospital for t h e purposes of this Act, a n d m a y r e v o k e or v a r y a n y s u c h
proclamation.
T h e G o v e r n o r m a y a p p o i n t a medical officer in charge; of a
lock hospital.
( 2 ) T h e provisions of t h e Prisons A c t , 1 8 9 9 , shall a p p l y to
a lock hospital, and in a p p l y i n g s u c h provision—
(a) s u c h h o s p i t a l shall be a prison or place of detention for t h e
p u r p o s e s of t h e said A c t ;
(b) a n y person detained in a lock hospital i n p u r s u a n c e of t h i s
A c t shall be deemed a c o n v i c t e d p r i s o n e r w i t h i n t h e m e a n i n g
of t h e P r i s o n s A c t , 1 8 9 9 .
(c)
(c) t h e C o m p t r o l l e r - G e n e r a l of P r i s o n s shall, subject to t h e
control of t h e Governor, h a v e t h e care, direction, a n d control
of such h o s p i t a l a n d t h e custody of all persons so d e t a i n e d .
Committal
to lock
hospital.
4. (1) W h e r e t h e s u r g e o n of a prison or place of d e t e n t i o n
certifies in w r i t i n g to t h e C o m p t r o l l e r - G e n e r a l of Prisons t h a t a
convicted prisoner d e t a i n e d t h e r e i n is suffering from a contagious
disease, s u c h prisoner m a y be b r o u g h t before a m a g i s t r a t e , a n d , on
proof b e i n g m a d e in p r i v a t e on oath t h a t such prisoner is so suffering,
t h e m a g i s t r a t e m a y order t h a t he be d e t a i n e d in a lock hospital u n t i l
discharged in p u r s u a n c e of t h i s A c t :
P r o v i d e d t h a t a n y prisoner a g a i n s t w h o m a n order h a s b e e n
m a d e as aforesaid m a y , on notice as prescribed, appeal t h e r e f r o m t o
a n y c o u r t of q u a r t e r sessions for t h e district w h e r e t h e order was
m a d e , or, w i t h t h e leave of t h e A t t o r n e y - G e n e r a l , to a n y o t h e r c o u r t
of q u a r t e r sessions.
Such appeal m a y be heard in p r i v a t e .
The
notice of appeal shall not suspend t h e operation of t h e order of t h e
magistrate.
( 2 ) T h e c o u r t h e a r i n g t h e appeal m a y , b y its order, confirm,
set aside, or v a r y t h e order appealed from.
( 3 ) A n y order u n d e r t h i s section t h a t a convicted prisoner
be detained in a lock hospital shall be sufficient a u t h o r i t y to t h e
C o m p t r o l l e r - G e n e r a l of Prisons to r e m o v e t h e prisoner to s u c h
hospital, a n d to d e t a i n h i m in p u r s u a n c e of s u c h order, s u b j e c t to t h e
provisions of t h i s A c t .
(4) T h e period of such d e t e n t i o n shall r u n c o n c u r r e n t l y
w i t h b u t m a y exceed a n y t e r m of i m p r i s o n m e n t or p e n a l s e r v i t u d e to
w h i c h t h e prisoner h a s been sentenced.
5. I t shall be t h e d u t y of t h e medical officer in c h a r g e of a n y
lock hospital, as soon as in his opinion a n y person detained in s u c h
hospital in p u r s u a n c e of a n order of a m a g i s t r a t e or c o u r t u n d e r t h i s
A c t is free from a c o n t a g i o u s disease, t o so r e p o r t to t h e M i n i s t e r of
J u s t i c e , a n d t h e r e u p o n such person shall be discharged f r o m t h e
hospital a n d be r e m i t t e d to c u s t o d y t o serve t h e r e m a i n d e r of t h e
sentence if such sentence has not expired, b u t if such s e n t e n c e h a s
expired h e shall be discharged from c u s t o d y .
Supplemental.
6. T h e Governor m a y m a k e r e g u l a t i o n s for c a r r y i n g o u t t h e
provisions of this A c t , a n d m a y in such r e g u l a t i o n s impose a n y p e n a l t y
n o t e x c e e d i n g twenty-five p o u n d s for a n y b r e a c h of t h e same. A n y
s u c h p e n a l t y m a y be recovered before a stipendiary or police m a g i s t r a t e
or a n y t w o justices of t h e peace in p e t t y sessions.
7.
7. All r e g u l a t i o n s so m a d e s h a l l —
(i) he p u b l i s h e d in t h e G o v e r n m e n t G a z e t t e ;
(ii) t a k e effect from t h e d a t e of p u b l i c a t i o n , or from a later date
to be specified in such r e g u l a t i o n s ; a n d
(iii) be laid before b o t h H o u s e s of P a r l i a m e n t w i t h i n seven d a y s
after p u b l i c a t i o n if P a r l i a m e n t is in session, a n d if not, t h e n
w i t h i n seven days after t h e c o m m e n c e m e n t of t h e n e x t
session.
B u t if either H o u s e of t h e P a r l i a m e n t passes a
resolution a t a n y t i m e w i t h i n fifteen s i t t i n g days after s u c h
r e g u l a t i o n s have been laid before s u c h H o u s e disallowing
a n y r e g u l a t i o n , s u c h r e g u l a t i o n shall t h e r e u p o n cease to
h a v e effect.