Page 48 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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in America and contained dollar notes. The accused was found guilty and was sentenced to two
years hard labour. The court also dealt with a number of persons who were arrested for taking part
in anti-Jewish riots, these individuals received sentences of up to nine months hard labour.

Collections from fines and court fees amounted to Rs. 19,493 and Rs. 25,268 respectively.
One fine, which was paid during the year by Ali Rashid Fakhroo, who had previously been sentenced
to a long period of imprisonment and a fine for buying ammunition which had been stolen from the
Royal Air Force, amounted to Rs. 10,000.
Junior Courts.—During the year 1,670 cases were heard in the two Junior Courts which also
dealt with 418 execution suits. The experiment of dividing the single Junior Court into two courts,
each presided over by two magistrates, proved successful and resulted in a speeding up of the hearing
of cases.
Shara Courts.—The Sunni Qadis heard 234 cases and gave final judgments in 191 cases. In
the Shia Court 150 cases were dealt with, 9 cases were referred to the Shia Appeal Qadi who gave
judgment in all of them. There is still no Sunni Appeal Qadi, this is a post which cannot be filled
by a local incumbent and it has not been possible to recruit a suitable person from abroad.

Appeal Court9.—-There were 27 appeals from the Junior Courts to the Senior Court and the
same number of appeals from the Senior Court to the Bahrain Appeal Court.
The Majlis Tijara.—-The number of cases which were referred to this body was 42 of which
26 cases were dealt with during the year. The committee consisted of 7 members for each Majlis,
sitting on alternate weeks. It has now been found that this number is insufficient as frequently
only three or four persons attend the meetings. Consideration is being given to the proposal that
the number of members on each committee should be raised to eleven. The Majlis Tijara is a perma­
nent advisory council not a roving committee. In many land cases the Bahrain Court, following
local custom, appoints a committee of assessors to inspect gardens, houses, water channels and fish
traps which are the subject of litigation. The assessors make a report to the court upon which the
court bases its decision. Usually each of the two parties appoint an assessor and the third assessor
is selected by the court. In the past this system worked very well and often the assessors succeeded
in effecting a compromise between the litigants. During recent years however it has become almost
impossible for the court to find people with a certain degree of expert knowledge who are willing to
give their time, without recompense, to visit places where disputes arc taking place. The persons
who are asked to render these services are in most cases leading citizens who are busily engaged in
their own occupations. In the past, when life was more leisurely, they could afford the time, now they
cannot. At the end of the year it was found that a large number of cases were held up because assessors
who had been asked to make reports to the courts on cases had failed to take any action.

POLICE AND PUBLIC SECURITY
STATE POLICE
Strength.—The strength ol the police at the end of 1367 was as follows
Officers .................................................... 19
N.C.O.s and men .. 285
Clerks, followers, etc............................................................... 4i
During the year 4 men died, 12 obtained their discharge, 9 were dismissed and 6 were enlisted.
The total police strength at the end of 1367 was 19 less than at the end of the previous year. The
number of followers appears to be high in comparison with the size of the force but it includes the
crews of three launches, gardeners and clerks.

The strength of the naturs at the end of the year was 207, being an increase of 37 men over the
1366 strength. An increase in the number of naturs became necessary when the police night patrol,
in Manama, was abandoned. This change did not result in any increase in crime.