1922 Present: De Sampayo J.

WICKREMASURIYA v. MARY NONA.

186-P. C Kandy, 8,034.

Ordinance No. 5 of 1889-Meaning of the term " brothel. "

A place to which men resorted for purposes of prostitution with women who were to be found in the house is a, brothel within the weaning of the term as used in Ordinance No. 5 of 1889. The occupation of a house or room by a single prostitute may not constitute it a brothel. It is not necessary to make a house of ill-fame a brothel that women should resort to it from outside; it is sufficient if prostitutes reside in the house and men visit them there for immoral purposes.

THE facts appear from the judgment.

Hayley, for accused, appellant.

May 22, 1922. DE SAMPAYO .J---

The accused, Mary Nona, has been charged under section 1 (1) of Ordinance No. 5 of 1889 with having kept and managed a brothel at Mary Nona Mahaiyawa in Kandy on March 10, 1922. The complainant is the Police Inspector of Kandy, and he called as his witness the Rev. Mr. Dant of the Baptist Mission. The defence was that this was a case of mistaken identity, and that the accused was at the time in question at Purijjala, about th