brothel
n. A place used for the purpose of female or male prostitution. A contract for the hiring or letting of a brothel is void (as being contrary to public policy) and under the Sexual Offences Act 1956 (s 33–36) it is an offence for a landlord to let premises knowing that they are to be used as a brothel (Kelly v Purvis [1983] AC 663 (QB)). It is also an offence for someone to help or manage a brothel or for a tenant or occupier of any premises to permit the premises to be used as a brothel. Under the Sexual Offences Act 1967 s 6 a premises shall be treated as a brothel for purposes of sections 33–35 of the Act of 1956 if people resort to it for the purpose of lewd homosexual practices in circumstances in which resort thereto for lewd heterosexual practices would have led to its being treated as a brothel for the purposes of those sections. |