LAW, ORDER AND RECORDS
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brought into use during the year. Two further new Magistracies are expected to be completed within the next 18 months.
The Tenancy Tribunal deals with matters arising under the Landlord and Tenant Ordinance which provides (with some excep- tions) control over domestic and business premises erected before the 17th August 1945. This Ordinance also provides a procedure by which premises may be exempted from control if it is in the public interest that they should be. It is no exaggeration to say that this provision has directly brought about the major portion of the vast amount of rebuilding which has taken place since 1945, and the Tenancy Tribunal has played an important part in hearing applications for exemption from control. Each of the 2 Tribunals sits with a full time president, who is a barrister or solicitor, and in exemption proceedings the president sits with 2 laymen who are selected in rotation from a panel of members who are appointed by the Chief Justice.
During 1960, two additional courts with adjoining chambers were constructed on the ground floor of the Supreme Court build- ing for the use of the District Court and Tenancy Tribunal. The space for these two new courts became available as a result of the Registrar General's Department moving out of the Supreme Court in 1959.
'White gloves' were presented at a Criminal Sessions in August for the first time since 1932.
THE HONG KONG POLICE FORCE
Ninety nine per cent of the population is Chinese. While a law- abiding people by nature, there is a tradition among the Chinese of keeping themselves to themselves and of avoiding contact with officialdom and particularly with the Police. This attitude is changing, and the public is becoming more co-operative in com- bating crime and helping to maintain law and order. The increas- ing number of people who now call at Police Stations for guidance and assistance on non-criminal matters is one example. Another important development has been the improved liaison with the Kaifong (District Welfare) Associations through monthly meetings of senior police officers with Kaifong committees. Kaifong Associa- tions helped greatly during the year in such matters as hawker