32
336 actions were instituted in the Original Jurisdiction and the amounts for which judgment was given totalled $1,406,802.11.
15 actions were instituted in the Admiralty Jurisdiction. 318 grants were made in the Probate Jurisdiction. 80 persons were indicted in the Criminal Jurisdiction of whom 57 were convicted.
11 Appeals were lodged in the Appellate Jurisdiction, 8 of which were heard during the year.
5. The lower civil courts are the land courts in the Northern and Southern districts of the New Territories, with jurisdiction over all land cases in those districts, and the small debts courts of the same two districts. In these courts the District Officers sit to hear land and small debts cases.
6. The lower criminal courts are the magistrates' courts, two for Hong Kong island and a small area on the mainland opposite Shaukiwan, one for Kowloon, including the whole area south of the Kowloon hills, and one each for the two districts of the New Territories, in which the District Officers are the magistrates.
7. The following figures show the amount of work done by the lower courts in 1931:-
Civil:
District Officer North, Land Court 36 cases. Small Debts Court 83 cases. District Officer South, Land Court 180 cases. Small Debts Court 48 cases.Criminal:
Hong Kong Magistracy, two courts.. 22,628 cases. Kowloon Magistracy, one court 15,289 cases. District Officer North, one court 655 cases. District Officer, South, one court 159 cases.II. The Police.
8. The Police Force of the Colony is under the control of the Inspector General of Police who is assisted by one Deputy Inspector General and eight Superintendents. The force consists of four Contingents, European, Indian, Chinese (Cantonese) and Chinese (Weihaiwei). The strength of the different Contingents is as follows:
Europeans Indians Chinese (Cantonese) Chinese (Weihaiwei) 244 680 585 261