ABSTRACT
This book is an introduction to the administration of various agencies of the criminal justice system. It outlines some basic concepts in criminal law, which is a common approach of defining crime in Hong Kong, and analyzes the process of the criminal justice system, ranging from the report of a crime to the correctional system. Another aim of this book is to examine how the criminal justice personnel or actors work in practice, and how they deal with the offender and victim during the criminal justice process. This edited volume is designed as a prescribed or recommended text to both undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking criminal justice and law as they embark on their studies. It may also be of interest to those individuals who would like to learn about arrangements for law enforcement, crime control, crime prevention, and methods for dealing with convicted offenders in Hong Kong. While this book is meant to be introductory, its ultimate goal is to persuade readers to adopt a more critical approach in order to understand the workings of the system and to encourage more empirical research on crime and justice. Instead of simply focusing on how different criminal justice organizations operate and function, throughout the text readers are encouraged to consider the arguments and debates that surround the controversial issues in the Hong Kong criminal justice system. For instance, how should we define crime? How can the legal system protect the rights of the victims? Should the police be given more powers to maintain law and order in society? How do judges make a decision in adjudicating the guilt of the defendant and sentencing? What is the best method of punishing criminals and preventing
them from further offending? These issues are not only academic concerns but also ‘the daily diet of much of our media’ (Muncie and Wilson 2004: ix). In this introductory chapter, we will provide some background information about Hong Kong for the benefit of non-Hong Kong readers; Hong Kong is a former British colony and is now a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China (hereafter referred to as HKSAR). Selected themes and topics which subsequent chapters examine will be briefly considered in this opening chapter.
