TNAG-0396-FCO40-442-Problem-of-increase-in-crime-in-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 54

SPEECH BY THE HON. ATTORNEY GENERAL (ACTING) IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY 23RD MAY

MAGISTRATES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1973.

SECOND READING.

Sir,

I move the Second Reading of the Magistrates (Amend-

ment) Bill 1973.

I have just referred in moving the Second Reading

of the District Court (Amendment) Bill to the pressure imposed

on the Supreme Court by the increasing number of serious criminal

cases

There has also been a steady increase in the number

of criminal cases tried in the District Court 250 in 1969,

185 in 1970, 247 in 1971 and 470 in 1972. Some 52 criminal cases

are awaiting trial at the moment. In order to assist in solving

the problems which this has created, the Finance Committee of

this Council has recently approved the creation of two additional

posts of District Judge.

The possibility of relieving the pressure on the

District Court by the trial in the Magistrates' Courts of some

cases now being transferred to the District Court has also been

examined and it is proposed that, if necessary, that course

should be followed. It is, however, considered that the existing

powers of sentence of the magistrates will not be adequate in

relation to some cases which may in future be tried in the

Magistrates' Courts, and the object of this Bill is to increase

the maximum power of sentence of selected magistrates from the

present maximum of two years (or three years for consecutive

sentences) to four years (or five years in the case of conse-

cutive offences).

The Bill proposes that a new class of magistrate, to

be called a principal magistrate, should have this enhanced power