Criminal Jurisdiction
The system is modelled after the English legal system, with indictable offences being taken up by the District Court if they are transferred from the magistrate's court. A District Court Judge sits alone without a jury.
The District Court hears all serious cases except murder, manslaughter and rape, and can impose a sentence of up to seven years. Cases are heard in either the Chinese or English languages, at the sole discretion of the trial judge.
Read more about this topic: District Court (Hong Kong)
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