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SCMP Reporter

Spouses of philandering partners detained for hiring prostitutes will be informed of the offence under sweeping revisions to the Public Order Administration Punishment Law effective today.

The new law covers 283 minor social offences, widening the scope of infractions from 73 to include sending pornographic mobile phone text messages, keeping an annoying pet, secretly videotaping people and football hooliganism.

The new regulations also demand that offenders' families be notified of any detention orders.

Those convicted of paying for sex will serve 10 to 15 days in detention and may have to pay a 5,000 yuan fine.

In the past, prostitutes' clients were usually fined 5,000 yuan, and offenders often asked police officers not to inform their families.

The head of the Ministry of Public Security's Legal Affairs Bureau, Ke Liangdong , said an interpretation of conditions covering all the offences was being drafted.

'The country is so wide, and people's tolerance of social offences is different in different regions. We will monitor how the penalties are applied throughout the country and then put forward an interpretation of different circumstances,' Mr Ke said.

He  conceded  there could be problems implementing the law because the increased range of offences could affect more people.

'Concerns that the law may not be effective if it is used against a large part of the population are reasonable,' he said. 'But a law has the function of education, intimidation and warning.'

Wu Mingshan, deputy head of the ministry's Public Order Administration Bureau, said the rights of beggars were recognised but  the new rules stipulated penalties for 'offensive begging behaviour'.

'Many cities  have seen a huge increase in beggars since the custody and repatriation system for beggars was abolished,' he said. 'Beggars on crowded streets damage our image, but ...  the government is concerned about their lives.'

One of the  six chapters of the new law deals with  police procedures and states  that evidence gained through coercion, such as torture, will be inadmissible.

A suspect detained for more than one offence can only be held for up to 20 days, whereas the old code had no upper limit.



Brothel creepers put on notice