Page 72 - The Arabian Gulf States_Neat

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10 THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE ARABIAN GULF STATES
Furthermore, the British Resident is entrusted with the duly of
administering the British extra-territorial jurisdiction which has, since
1925, been exercised by the British Crown in the various territories
of the Rulers concerned. This extra-territorial jurisdiction, which is
i being gradually relinquished today, was ceded to the British Crown
from the beginning of this century by virtue of informal agreements
with the Rulers of the Shaikhdoms. In the ease of Muscat it is based
on formal agreements which arc being renewed periodically. This
British extra-territorial jurisdiction, which was generally applied to all
\ classes of persons residing in the Gulf States, with the exception of
nationals of the Rulers concerned, is now limited to British subjects,
Commonwealth nationals and non-Muslim foreigners residing in the
Shaikhdoms. In the ease of Muscat, it is even more limited; it applies
to cases involving non-Muslim United Kingdom or (with certain
exceptions) Commonwealth citizens only. British extra-territorial juris­
diction in Kuwait was formally relinquished on 4 May 1961. Conse­
quently, jurisdiction over all classes of foreigners has been transferred
to the Kuwaiti national courts. British extra-territorial jurisdiction in
the Gulf has been exercised under the authority of the British Foreign
Jurisdiction Acts of 1890-1913, which empower the Crown to estab­
lish courts of justice and legislate for the categories of persons subject
to the jurisdiction by means of Orders in Council.1

CONSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE ARABIAN GULF
GOVERNMENTS

(a) The protected States
The protected States of the Gulf, comprising Bahrain, Qatar and the
seven Trucial Shaikhdoms, are, internally, independent governments
ruled by indigenous Rulers or Shaikhs who are usually chosen by the
agreement and consent of senior members of their families. Generally,
succession to rulership has been handed down from father to son, on
the death of the former or on his abdication. In 1958, for example, the
Shaikh of Bahrain appointed his son, Shaikh Isa ibn Salman AI-
Khalifah, as heir apparent to the Shaikhdom.2 Also on 24 October

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continues, ‘is to ensure that their relations with the Rulers in all matters of im­
portance are conducted through, or with, the knowledge of the British political
officers.’ See ibid., pp. 66-7. .
1 Hay, op. cit., pp. 19-22. And see Persian Gulf Gazette (Containing Orders in
Council,* Laws and Regulations), published by Her Majesty’s Political Resident
in the Arabian Gulf by Authority, Supplements, Nos 1-32 (1952-61).
2 Shaikh Isa ibn Salman Al-Khalifah, who is now the Ruler of Bahrain, succeeded
to the rulership on 16 December 1961, following the death of his father. The pre-