'We must have a procedure – if we are going to hang anyone – that is just,' said Chief Justice Sir Francis Piggott in 1909, on discovering that Chinese accused of murder were being denied interpretation in Hong Kong's courts. Due process, no matter how costly or inconvenient, was 'one of the penalties of empire,' he declared. Penalties of Empire explores how judges, juries, and lawyers strove to deliver justice during the 150 years when the death penalty was in force in Hong Kong. Nine main chapters focus on key capital trials in the first century of British rule. Among the cases are piracies, assassinations, and crimes of passion and desperation. These chapters describe the proceedings in court and the participants involved. They also explore the debates surrounding each case and the exercise or denial of mercy by governors. Two final chapters discuss the decline of the death penalty after World War II, its suspension after 1966, and the controversies leading to its formal abolition in 1993. Penalties of Empire traces the evolution of criminal justice at its highest levels. It also offers a prism for understanding some of the broader forces at work in Hong Kong's history.
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Information
Subtopic
Chinese HistoryIndex
LawTable of contents
- Synposis
- Author Biography
- Endorsements
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Contents
- Maps and Tables
- Abbreviations, Conventions, and Caveats
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Acknowledgements
- A Note on Sources
- A Note on Currencies, Prices, and Values
- Index
- About the Author
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Yes, you can access Penalties of Empire by Christopher Munn in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Law & Chinese History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.