How were Hong Kong's criminal justice institutions and practices formed? What has been its experience of law and order? How has Hong Kong's status as between 'East' and 'West' affected its social, political and legal institutions? Hong Kong in the 21st century is known as a world city, a global financial centre and, for some, the epitome of free market capitalism. Despite its phenomenal economic success and rapid 'modernisation' it has nevertheless been associated with social stability, political tranquillity, and one of the lowest crime rates in the world. A clean, safe, modern metropolis, it defies many of our ideas about the relationship between crime and 'development'. In contrast, popular culture images of Hong Kong are dominated by 'orientalist' images of triads, corruption, vice, drugs, and mysterious martial arts. Hong Kong is seen as a city of crime where lawlessness is contained only by a criminal justice system inherited from the British. This book examines how, until the erection of the border with Communist China in 1950, people in Hong Kong and China moved freely between the two systems, highlighting that the configuration and development of Hong Kong's criminal justice institutions must also be understood in relation to this 'China factor'. This careful examination of the criminal justice system in Hong Kong suggests that any understanding of the current system requires dialogue with and an understanding of rich and complex narratives of history. It contains a wealth of archival material, statistical data on crime and criminal justice, as well as an analysis of how perceptions of the 'crime problem' have altered over time.