LAW AND ORDER
were convicted as against 89 in 1953. Most of the con- victions were registered in respect of crimes of violence, such as murder, robbery with aggravation, wounding and manslaughter.
The District Courts
This Court, which came into being early in 1953, has two branches, one in Hong Kong in the Supreme Court Building and the other in Kowloon in the Kowloon Magistracy. The District Court assumed the jurisdiction of the old Summary Court wherein civil claims up to and including $5,000 were heard by Puisne Judges. The District Judges have powers in criminal jurisdiction greater than those of Magistrates and these powers enable them to try certain cases which would otherwise have to be committed to the Sessions.
In the civil jurisdiction, 2,799 civil cases were instituted during the year, a record for the post-war period. Of this total, the Hong Kong Court accounted for 1,421 and Kowloon for 378. The total for 1953 was 2,259, which figure was itself a record. Most of the claims were, like those of the Original Jurisdiction, of a commercial nature, though there were a fair number of writs for possession and writs claiming refund of rent hitherto paid in excess of the statutory figure.
Another branch of litigation dealt with in these Courts are the cases brought under the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance of which 74 were filed during the year.
In its criminal jurisdiction the Hong Kong Court tried 104 and convicted 89 persons while the figures for the Kowloon Court were 122 persons tried and 100 convicted.
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