PIMACY IN THS LAINA MBAS
whether acts of violence committed on the
high seas by foreigners are justiciable in
H.A. Courts without proof of actual robbery
on hoard.
38
GASK FOR THE LAK VPPIGARS OF THR
The following papers are sent i-
(1) Copy Judgment of the Pull Court at Hong Kong,
kex v. Chung Tam Kwong *nd others.
(2) Gopy
Gopy Despatches and Departmental correspondence.
(3) Copy Memorandum by the 3rd Legal Adviser to the
Foreign office.
The opinion of the Law Officers is desired on certain
questions arising out of a decision of the Full Court at long
Kong in the case of hex V. Chung Tam Kwong and others who had
been indicted for the crime of piracy, to the effect that sotuml
robbery is necessary to support a conviction for piracy.
The facts are set out in the transcript of the Judgments
of the Court which accompanies this Cane, but the salient
feature of the case was that the accused had been arrested
before they were able to perfect their manifest intention of
committing # robbery on the high seas, and it was doubted
whether in these circumstances the necessary elements of the
crize of piraog existed.
As the Lea officers will observe from the correspondence,
of which a copy accompanies this Case, the decision of the
Court at nong Kong has given rise to somewhat serious problema
vizi- whether there is under existing legislation any power in
the Courts of tals country, and consequently in the Col^nisl
1.