StandingclosetogetherinacompoundonahillsideaboveVictoriaHarbour,theCentralPoliceStation,CentralMagistracyandVictoriaGaolwereabastionofBritishcolonialpower,asymbolofsecurity,lawandpunishment.ThiswalledcityintheheartofHongKong’sCentralDistrictisnowrestoredasaheritageandartscentreknownasTaiKwun.MaintaininglawandorderinaturbulentplacelikeHongKong―lying‘withinarifleshotofthemainlandofChina’andwithalargelyunsettledpopulation―wasfarfromstraightforward.Intheearlydecadesofthecolonythepoliceforcewasabywordforincompetenceandcorruption.Asthe19thcenturygavewaytothe20th,politicalpolicingbecameagrowingpreoccupationaswavesofstrikes,boycottsandagitationsshookthecolony.TheMagistracyadministeredaformofcheapsummaryjusticeheavilyadaptedtotheneedsofcolonialHongKong:welloveramillionpredominantlyChinesepeopleweresentencedtherebetween1841and1941.Manywenttoprisonforpettyoffencesbecausetheycouldnotpaytheirfines;otherswerefloggedorexposedinthestocksasawarningtoothers.Intheovercrowded,unsanitaryVictoriaGaol,theregimevacillateduneasilybetweenabeliefintheneedforharshdeterrentpunishmentandanoptimisticfaithinreformandrehabilitation.Thisrichlyillustratedbookdrawsonawealthofsourcestoofferavividaccountofthosethreeinstitutionsfrom1841tothelate20thcentury.Itisfirmlyfocusedonpeopleandtheirstories,weavingacrossasociallandscapepopulatedbycaptainssuperintendentandmagistrates,gaolersandconstables,thievesandruffians,hawkersandstreetboys,down-and-outs,prostitutes,gamblers,debtorsandbeggars―theguiltyaswellastheinnocent.
