CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS: SUBORDINATE CRIMINAL COURTS

Mr L. P. Rodrigo asked the Minister for Law and National Development (a) how many prosecutions were conducted in the Subordinate Criminal Courts for the period 1st January, 1967 to 30th June, 1968; (b) how many of these prosecutions resulted in convictions: (c) how many of these convictions were the result of the accused pleading guilty; (d) how many of these prosecutions were for offences classified as follows : -

(i) Assault, causing hurt, grievous or otherwise, with or without weapons:

(ii) Robbery;

(iii) Extortion;

(iv) Theft;

(v) Cheating;

(vi) Criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of property;

(vii) Sexual offences;

(viii) Vagrancy;

(ix) Drunkenness;

(x) Gambling and connected offences;

(xi) Opium-smoking and connected offences; and

(xii) Smuggling and connected offences;

(e) How many of the accused convicted for each of the above classifications of offences were women: and (f) how many of the accused convicted for each of the above classifications of offences were 18 years old and below at the time of the offence.

Mr E. W. Barker: (a) Number of prosecutions 45,143 conducted in the Subordinate Criminal Courts for the period 1st January, 1967 to 30th June, 1968 (b) Number of prosecutions 41,046 which resulted in convictions (c) Number of convictions which 35,417 were the result of the accused pleading guilty (d) Number of prosecutions classified under the following:- (i) Assault, causing hurt, 1,110 grievous or otherwise, with or without weapons (ii) Robbery 373 (iii) Extortion 143 (iv) Theft / Housebreaking 1,877 (v) Cheating 126 (vi) Criminal Breach of Trust 147 and Misappropriation of Property (vii) Sexual Offences 86 (viii) Vagrancy 83 (ix) Drunkenness 1.275 (x) Gambling and connected 12,147 offences (xi) Opium smoking and 2,146 connected offences (xii) Smuggling and connected 292 offences

(e) Number of women convicted under the following classifications: (Also given are figures for Male convicted for comparison, though not asked) Convicted (Adults) Females Males (i) Assault, causing hurt, 22 574 grievous or otherwise, with or without weapons (ii) Robbery 1 273 (iii) Extortion Nil 93 (iv) Theft / Housebreaking Nil 1,226 (v) Cheating Nil 104 Convicted (Adults) Females Males (vi) Criminal Breach of Trust 1 115 and Misappropriation of property (vii) Sexual Offences Nil 60 (viii) Vagrancy Nil 44 (ix) Drunkenness 14 1,195 (x) Gambling and connected offences 250 11,606 (xi) Opium smoking and connected offences 16 2,090 (xii) Smuggling and connected offences 14 170

(f) It is not possible to tell from the available statistics in the Subordinate Courts the number of persons of the age of 18 years or below convicted under the classifications requested for. However, statistics are available in respect of persons convicted under the age of 21 years, and the figures are given hereunder: - Males Females (i) Assault, causing hurt, 22 1 grievous or otherwise, with or without weapons (ii) Robbery 70 Nil Males Females (iii) Extortion 18 Nil (iv) Theft / Housebreaking 499 4 (v) Cheating Nil Nil (vi) Criminal Breach of Trust 5 Nil and Misappropriation of property (vii) Sexual Offences 5 Nil (viii) Vagrancy 9 Nil (ix) Drunkenness 4 Nil (x) Gambling and connected 67 Nil offences (xi) Opium smoking and connected 1 Nil offences (xii) Smuggling and connected Nil Nil offences

Young persons are separated into two groups in the Subordinate Criminal Courts -

(i) persons under 16 years are classified as juveniles in pursuance of the Children and Young Persons Ordinance; and

(ii) persons above the age of 16 years and under 20 years when convicted, are considered for reformative training before sentences are passed.