ENG-1946 — Page 110

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in the Court's summary jurisdiction by the Puisne Judge, as are all matters arising out of distraints for non-payment of rent. Cases in the Probate, Divorce, Admiralty and Bank- ruptcy jurisdictions of the court are usually heard by the Chief Justice. Indictable offences are first heard before magistrates and are committed to the criminal sessions which are held once every month; these cases are usually divided between two judges.

A right of appeal exists in all the above cases. Appeals are heard 'by a Full Court consisting of two or more judges. Under the Magistrates Ordinance, 1932, as amended by Ordinance No. 19 of 1935, any person aggrieved may appeal to a judge from the decision of a magistrate in a summary way.

This form of appeal is heard by a single judge who may reserve the appeal or any point in it for consideration by the Full Court, or may direct the appeal or the point to be argued before the Full Court.

The Registrar of the Supreme Court also acts in the capacity of Official Trustee, Official Administrator and Regis- trar of Companies, administering trust estates and deceased persons' estates and registering companies under the Com- panies Ordinance, 1932. Bills of Sale are also registered with the Registrar.

The Lower Courts.

Before the war each of the two districts of the New Territories had its land court and small debts court where the District Officer sat to hear land and small debts cases. These courts were not revived during the year under review.

The lower criminal courts are the magistrates' courts, three for Hong Kong Island, two for Kowloon, including the whole area south of the Kowloon hills, and one for the northern section of the New Territories, in which the District Officer is the magistrate.

Work Done in the Supreme Court.

The following figures refer to cases which came before the Court during the eight months May to December, 1946. Figures for the twelve months in 1938 are shown in brackets. 143 actions were instituted in the original jurisdiction and 45 in the summary jurisdiction (1938: 196 and 1,383 respective- ly). In the Probate jurisdiction, 339 grants (220 probates and 119 letters of administration) were made by the Court; 13 grants by other British Courts were sealed, making a total of 352 grants made during the eight months, compared with 384 in 1938. 315 persons were indicted at the criminal sessions and 255 were convicted (1938: 426 cases, 347 con- victions); two appeals were heard against conviction or sentence at criminal sessions (7 in 1938), two appeals were heard against magisterial decisions (13 in 1938), there were two appeals in respect of civil actions (8 in 1938). and 56