Page 341 - UAE Truncal States

Chapter Eight

nomination of registrars, court procedures and conditions for
appeals were all regulated in detail in the Orders in Council on the
model of British Courts abroad elsewhere. Little was changed
throughout the period of the courts’ functioning.

Persons under this jurisdiction
Very considerable changes were, however, made over the years with
regard to the persons to whom this jurisdiction applied. In the 1950
Order in Council it was envisaged that it should apply to all persons
(as well as corporations and matters) within the limits of the Order,
except for subjects of any of the Trucial States Rulers other than
those who joined the TOL or were employed by a person or company
which was itself subject to this order.100 In the 1956 Order in Council
a clause was introduced which provided for the transfer to the
shaikhs of jurisdiction over certain non-native groups of people. In
1960 the first such transfer was agreed between the Rulers and the
British Government regarding the nationals of most Muslim slates
(except Muslim Commonwealth Countries). This agreement specifi­
cally mentioned the "stateless persons of Palestinian origin”. In 1962
the nationals of Syria and in 1963 those of Algeria became excluded
from British jurisdiction. 101
With the formation of the federation of the United Arab Emirates
in 1971 came the transfer to the new Stale of the jurisdiction over all
people and institutions, national or foreign, residing within the limits
of the UAE.102 The agreement for the final transfer of jurisdiction
made provision for a period of grace in which cases pending could be
settled, appeals could be made, and the new State also bound itself to
recognise the findings of the Trucial States Court and the appeal
courts.
Matters under this jurisdiction; adapted and new legislation
In 1963 provision was made for the transfer of jurisdiction over
certain matters, a parallel to the provision for the transfer of
jurisdiction over certain groups of people.103 The provision for the
transfer of matters grew in importance as the individual States
progressed with formulating their own legislation on a number of
issues during the 1960s. Dubai and Abu Dhabi led in introducing a
number of regulations concerning, for example, customs, income tax,
road and air traffic.104 After the announcement in January 1968 of the
British Government’s intention to withdraw its military presence

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