ENG-1960 — Page 236

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Law, Order and Records

THE COURTS OF JUSTICE

THE Courts in Hong Kong are the Full Court, the Supreme Court, the District Court, the Magistrates' Court, the Tenancy Tribunal and the Marine Court.

The Full Court hears appeals from the Supreme Court and the District Court and has jurisdiction corresponding roughly to that of the Court of Appeal and the Court of Criminal Appeal in England. Final appeals from Hong Kong go to the Judical Com- mittee of the Privy Council in London.

The Supreme Court tries criminal cases with a jury and deals with civil matters in an Original Jurisdiction (being as it were a local combination of the King's Bench and Chancery Divisions of the English High Court) and also in its Probate, Divorce, Admiralty, Lunacy, Bankruptcy and Company Winding Up Juris- dictions. It also has an appellate jurisdiction in which it hears appeals from the Magistrates' Court and Marine Court, and exercises control over the members of both branches of the legal profession.

The District Court has a restricted criminal and civil jurisdiction but also has an appellate jurisdiction in Stamp Appeals, Rating Appeals and Appeals from the Tenancy Tribunal. Trial in both criminal and civil proceedings in the District Court is by judge alone. There is no trial by jury.

The Magistrates' Court corresponds broadly to the Magistrates' Court in England and exercises a similar criminal jurisdiction. It also has a limited jurisdiction in domestic matters. The year 1960 saw continued expansion of the work of the Magistrates' Court in company with continued expansion of the population. The number of magistrates (who, with the exception of the JPs' Court, are barristers or solicitors sitting as full time stipendiaries) increased, and 6 additional courts in 2 new Magistracies were