OFFENCES. TABLE E. SUMMARY OF THE PRECEDING TABLES, with the Proportions to Population. See notes on page 14. Annual Averages. Totals Proportions of Annual Averages per 100,000 of Population. for the Year 1924. Proportions per 100,000 of Population in 1924. 784,885 766,901 718,336 549,128 617,112 641,827 2,406 74 2,233 13 1,984.92 1,628.93 1,617.25 1,656.50 1,937.04 1,807.18 Cruelty to Animals Education Acts, Offences against Naval, Military and Air-Force Law, Offences against. Police Regulations, Offences against Railways, Offences in relation to Sleeping out 77,881 Gaming, &c. Other Vagrancy Offences Other Offences Total TABLE E.-SUMMARY OF THE PRECEDING TABLES, with the Proportions to Population-continued. Proportions per 100,000 of Population in 1924. Annual Averages. Totals Proportions of Annual Averages per 100,000 of Population. OFFENCES. for the ⚫39 .30 .32 .33 .22 .31 . 23 Manslaughter and Infanticide 176 148 148 110 116 124 .54 .43 .41 .33 .30 .32 Wounding .. 1,230 1,218 1,261 565 657 618 3.77 3.55 3.48 1.68 1.72 1.59 Other Offences of Violence 341 382 375 336 302 279 1.05 1.11 1.04 1.00 .79 .72 Unnatural Offences and Attempts, &c. 214 242 290 265 453 520 .66 .70 .80 .79 1.19 1.34 Rape and other Offences against 1,254 1,306 1,760 1,270 2,006 2,184 3.85 3.80 4.86 3.77 5.26 5.64 Females. Bigamy 119 129 155 541 568 456 .36 .38 .43 1.60 1.49 1.18 Burglary, Housebreaking, &c. 8,295 11,319 12,632 10,111 17,116 18,143 25.43 32.96 34.91 29.99 44.86 46.82 Robbery and Extortion 282 288 242 149 Aggravated Larcenies 11,602 10,694 10,299 9,751 .67 28.46 .44 .56 .44 28.92 23.53 22.65 Simple and minor Larcenies 49,251 60,434 62,305 52,571 62,793 65,967 151.02 175.98 172.16 155.94 164.56 170.25 Obtaining by False Pretences 2,909 4,048 4,565 3,957 7,724 9,176 8.92 11.79 12.61 11.74 20.24 23.68 Other Frauds 316 535 620 307 826 1,071 .97 1.56 1.71 .91 2.16 2.76 Receiving Stolen Goods 1,055 1,374 1,651 2,221 1,861 1,786 3.23 4.00 4.56 6.59 4.88 4.61 Arson 263 302 298 165 241 204 .81 .88 .82 ⚫49 .63 .53 Other Offences against Property.. 215 259 348 94 118 115 .66 .75 .96 • 28 .31 .30 Forgery 395 392 490 332 636 731 1.21 1.14 1.36 .98 1.67 1.89 Coining 143 192 255 50 96 131 .44 .56 .71 15 • 25 .34 Perjury 84 84 97 71 90 85 .26 .24 .27 .21 .24 .22 Suicide, Attempting to Commit. Other Indictable Offences 2,124 2,489 2,399 1,213 1,585 1,649 6.51 7.25 6.63 3.60 4.15 4.25 358 577 636 320 186 153 1.10 1.68 1.76 .95 .49 .39 TOTAL of Crimes known to Police 80,871 96,665 101,104 84,616 106,837 112,574 247.98 281.48 279-37 251.00 279.99 290.54 ANNUAL TABLES FOR THE YEAR 1924. Page TABLES I TO VII.-ASSIZES AND QUARTER SESSIONS 39 TABLES IX TO XIII.-COURTS OF SUMMARY JURISDICTION 76 TABLES XVILI TO XXI.-POLICE RETURNS OF CRIME.. 104 NOTES ON CRIMINAL COURTS AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. In England the chief Courts for the trial of criminal cases are the Assizes (including the Central Criminal Court) and the Courts of Quarter Sessions. The King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice has also power to try criminal cases. The number so tried is very small, and there were no cases in 1924. In certain exceptional cases a Court held under Special Commission tries cases in the same way as a Court of Assize. No instances of this have occurred for several years. Peers charged with treason or felony have the right to be tried by the House of Lords. One case was so tried in 1901. Assizes. The Assizes are the Courts held by His Majesty's Judges, when they go under Royal Commissions on Circuit for the administration of justice. They are held three times a year for each county, in certain cases four times. The Central Criminal Court is a court with similar powers sitting in London and usually holding twelve sessions in the year. In law the term "Assizes" includes the sessions of the Central Criminal Court (Interpretation Act, 1889, section 13 (5)); and it is so used in these Statistics. QUARTER SESSIONS. A Court of Quarter Sessions exists in each County, and in those Boroughs to which a separate Court has been granted by the Crown. The Court consists in Counties of the Justices for the County assembled in Quarter Session, in Boroughs of the Recorder of the Borough, a legal officer of high standing. Its sessions are held at least four times a year, sometimes more frequently, e.g., in London there were 24 sittings in the year 1924. The Court has powers co-ordinate with the Assizes, but less extensive; all cases which can be tried at Quarter Sessions can be tried also at Assizes, but certain offences, such as treason, murder, perjury, libel, can be tried only at Assizes.* Cases tried at Assizes and Quarter Sessions are ordinarily tried on an indictment presented by a Grand Jury, and the trial in every case without exception is by Jury. COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEAL. Under the provisions of the Criminal Appeal Act, 1907, persons convicted on indictment may (subject to the restrictions and regulations imposed by the Act) appeal against the conviction or sentence to the Court of Criminal Appeal. Statistics of the appeals decided in 1924 are given in Table VIII. The Quarter Sessions for the Liberty of Peterborough possesses powers under Commissions of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery as well as under the usual Commission of the Peace. † An inquisition of a Coroner's Jury is equivalent to an indictment, but cases tried on an inquisition are not very frequent. All jurisdiction and authority under the Crown Cases Act, 1848, in relation to questions of law, is now vested in the Court of Criminal Appeal (Criminal Appeal Act, 1907, sec. 20 (4)). |