Page 419 - Bahrain Gov annual reports (V a)_Neat

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In 1952 nationals of the Gulf states, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, came under the jurisdiction
of the Bahrain Government.
In October 1954 Mr.G. L. Peace, o.b.e., was appointed Judicial Adviser to the Government.
His knowledge and experience was of the greatest value both in advising the magistrates on the
courts, in drafting new ordinances and in re-drafting existing ordinances, which were in some
cases ambiguously worded, and in training the staff of the Judicial Department.
In April 1955 the Labour Law Advisory Committee began its sittings. It consisted of
three members appointed by the Government, three representatives of employers and three
elected representatives of Labour, one of these being a senior Arab official of the Bahrain
Government. The Committee was assisted by a labour expert lent by the British Government,
Without his help and advice little progress could have been made. The need for a labour code
was stressed by the Adviser some years ago but it was some time before the proposal was
approved. The committee was in session until October 1956, during this time 58 meetings
were held. The draft law was then submitted to His Highness for approval. The work of the
committee was unnecessarily delayed owing to the vacillations of one of the labour represent­
atives who was acting under the instructions of the Higher Executive Committee.
After completing the draft the committee was asked to consider framing a workmen’s
compensation law. Previously the Government dealt with compensation claims between
employers and employed according to the Indian workman’s compensation act, though this
act had not been officially enforced.

JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, 1956
From the Report of Mr. Salim al Araydh, Registrar of the Courts.
During 1956 there were 1,510 new cases of all kinds filed in the senior courts ; of these
568 were civil cases and 575 were criminal cases. There were no important cases except the
trial of National Union Committee members who appeared before a special tribunal appointed
by the Ruler, consisting of the Appeal Judge, H.E. Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa and the two High
Court Judges, Shaikh Daij bin Hamed, and Shaikh Ali bin Ahmed. For hearing this case the
special court sat at Budeya as it was considered undesirable by the police authorities that the
case should be heard in the Manama court in the centre of the town.
The two senior magistrates, sitting in separate courts, disposed of 1,175 cases, including all
criminal cases, leaving 540 cases pending. The new court for execution of decrees and final
orders, which was set up during the year, dealt with 31 cases.
In the small courts 2,113 new cases were filed and 2,041 cases were dealt with. At the end
of the year there were 754 pending cases.
In the Sunni Shera Court there were 442 cases, including pending cases from 1956, out of
which 353 cases were disposed of. Cases in the Shera court seem to involve more hearings
than those which are heard elsewhere, parties in a simple unimportant case often seem to appear
a dozen times, frequently because witnesses are absent. In other courts cases are dealt with
roore promptly.
The Shia Shera Court heard 238 cases out of 252 cases which were filed. The Shia Appeal
Kadi gave judgment in seven cases.
The Shia Appeal Kadi, Shaikh Abdul Hussain al Hilli, died during the year. He was an
able and experienced judge, well educated and not influenced by local opinion. It will be
difficult to find an equally good man for this post.
The Junior Appeal Court gave judgment in 17 cases out of 24 and the Senior Appeal Court
disposed of 43 cases out of 46.
Fines imposed and collected amounted to Rs 27,000 and Rs 60,000 was paid in court fees.
At the end of 1955 it was decided that some well known Jlegal expert from one of the Middle
“past countries should be consulted about the revision of the Criminal Code which had been
d raftcd and printed but held up at the last moment owing to the opposition of the code which
Was raised by the Higher Executive Committee. Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sanhouri, a well known