a loophole for perjurers and
gold mine for
lawyers. They would
rather have
a
Case
dealt with
summarily by
a Magistrate
and a
knowledge of the Chinese language
and customs than by
the members
of
a Jury whom they have
to deal with,
and whom
are ignorant and
prejudiced against whom
they are properly
and consequently
not infrequently prejudiced.
(signed) J. H. S. Lockhart,
Registrar General,
7th June, 1893.
Enclosure 3.
CO470
Report by the Capt. Supt. of Police-
Some Colonial Secretary
660
Considerable difficulty
is, and has been, experienced in keeping witnesses
without fear or favour for the Supreme Court. It is doubted
whether those who
are
forthcoming at the Sessions,
especially those "shadowed" by the Police,
will not be
influenced by their
appearance
very frequently
in Court.
Few cases of tampering
with witnesses have been reported
to the Police, but in
some
there has been
a divergence between evidence
given at the Police Court and that given by the same
witnesses
at the Supreme Court; the
strongest suspicions have
arisen that the witnesses had
been tampered with.