confirms that the Magistrates' Courts of Hong Kong and Kowloon are making increased use of the services of the Probation Officers, not only in relation to actual probation cases and potential probation cases but also in conducting social in- vestigations to assist the Courts to deal with persons of widely different character charged with various types of offence.
50. Beggars have proved to be an increasing and disturbing problem, and Probation Officers spend a great deal of time investigating circumstances of mendicants in order to assist the Courts in the matter of their disposal. A number of these people have abused the efforts made on their behalf, for after pleading to be allowed to enter North Point Camp they have left the Camp within a few hours, knowing that they could not, by law, be detained there and having attained their objective of avoiding any penalty of the Court.
51. A Probation of Offenders Ordinance will, in the near future, be brought into operation. This Ordinance will enable the Courts to place on probation any person of any age, male or female, first offender or recidivist; and will make provision for the introduction of approved institutions, such as probation homes or hostels where a person between the ages of 16 years and 21 years who is made the subject of a Probation Order may, as a condition of that Order, be required to reside for a period of 12 months. In addition, this Ordinance will permit of the introduction of Probation Case Committees, which it is intended shall include Magistrates, and whose valuable function will include not only an examination of the casework of the Pro- bation Officers, thereby allowing the Magistrates to maintain interest in the cases which they have themselves placed on probation, but will also afford opportunities for the members of the Committee, the Principal Probation Officer and the Probation Officers to discuss general matters pertaining to the efficient administration of the Probation Service. It is anticipated that this increased provision for the treatment of adult offenders will result in greater demands being made upon the Probation Officers not only by the Magistrates' courts but also by the District Courts and the Supreme Court.
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