Page 175 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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Judicial.

Bahrain Courts. Number of new civil cases heard
in the Bahrain Court 237
Number of new civil cases heard in Small Court 475
In addition to these about 200 criminal cases were dealt with by the two
courts, most of the cases being petty offences.
Court fees and fine collected Rs. 7,700.
No cases of outstanding importance were heard and there were no big civil
cases.
While Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad was in England his place on the court was
taken by Shaikh Ali bin Ahmed, the Amir of Rafaa, who was subsequently appointed
a permanent magistrate on Bahrain Court.
The magistrates on the various courts at the end of the year were the
following:—

Bahrain Court;
Shaikh Rashid bin Moharaed
Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad
Shaikh Ali bin Ahmed
Small Court;
Shaikh Ali bin Khalifah bin Daij
Shaikh Daij bin Hamad
Shaikh Mohamed bin Ali
Junior Joint Court;
Shaikh Mubarak bin Hamad

President Majlis Tijara;
Shaikh Mohamed bin Abdulla
Appeal Court;
Shaikh Abdulla bin Isa
Shaikh Salman bin Hamad
The Adviser
The number of appeals from the Small Court to the Bahrain Court was seven
and eight appeals were heard by the appeal court.
During the political unrest towards the end of the year there was much
critioism of the Bahrain Courts. It was eventually decided that expert advice
should be obtained on compiling a code of laws for use in the courts. Much work
has already been done ia coding existing rules, regulations and local customs such as
the diving laws, fish trap rules etc. etc. but no attempt has been made to draw up a
penal code. Expert knowledge and advice is necessary before this work can be
completed. Owing to the absence of any regular code judgments given in similar
cases by the same courts frequently do not conform and this has given cause for
public complaints.

During the year the powers of the Small Court were increased to include land
and diving cases involving amounts not exceeding Rs. 400, in the past this oourt
was not authorised to hear diving and land disputes.
Shera Courts. The Shera courts, which are religious courts dealing with
cases of inheritance, divoroe and administration of oaths, are presided over by the !
Sunni and Shia Kadis.