WHEREAS it is provided by Section 4 of
the Judicial Committee Act, 1833, that it shall be
lawful for His Majesty to refer to the Judicial
Committee of the Privy Council for hearing or for
consideration any such matters whatsoever as His
Majesty shall think fit:
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AND WHEREAS there was this day read at the Board
a letter from the Right Honourable Sir Philip Cunliffe
Lister, one of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of
State, stating that at the Criminal Sessions held in
Hong Kong in February, 1931, twelve subjects of the
Republic of China were indicted for the crime of piracy,
to wit, that they on the 4th day of January, 1931, on
the High Seas with force and arms assaulted and put in
fear of their lives certain mariners in cargo junk
No.206.V. with intent to carry away the said junk, her
ta ckle and cargo from the owners thereof and to steal
the same and that after the verdict of guilty of the
jury the following question of law was re served by the
trial judge vizt: "Whether an accused person may be
convicted of piracy (meaning there by of piracy jure
gentium) in circumstances where no robbery has occurred".
1.