In Hong Kong, “nineteen twentieths of the prisoners and witnesses are Chinese and the majority of jurors are foreigners,” observed the Attorney General, William Goodman, in 1894. Chinese, he added, would much rather have a case dealt with by a magistrate than by a jury. The composition and effectiveness of juries were a source of anxiety throughout the colonial period. Concerns about jurors’ comprehension of proceedings and procedure, and about their attitudes to justice, added a further layer of uncertainty to the many challenges in administering law to a rapidly changing, heterogeneous population. These concerns were particularly acute in murder trials, where, despite wide support for the death penalty, juries were often reluctant to convict. This seminar will explore the experience of juries in Hong Kong during the 150 years when the death penalty was in force, with a particular focus on the “hanging years,” from 1844 to 1966.