Page 102 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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A few small pieces of Government land were sold realising Rs. 1.867. Tor the first time the
Government leased a few sites on the coast for fish traps. In the past people set up fish traps on
Government property without obtaining permission and then claimed the site as their own, registration
of existing traps and leases for new sites though not financially profitable for the Government ensure
that the ownership by the Government of the foreshore is maintained.

During the year Ilis Highness appointed a new Khalifah Committee under the presidency of
Shaikh Abdullah bin Isa Alkhalifah for dealing with applications by members of the Ruling Family
for permission to sell property. These matters in the past were dealt with by a committee consisting
of Shaikh Abdullah, the Adviser to the Government and Shaikh Salman himself, before he became
ruler. The new committee in addition to dealing with land sales examines other matters affecting
the Ruling Family including the division of their estates and the control of various minors or persons
who arc unfit to look after their own property.
JUDICIAL.
Bahrain Courts. During the year 596 eases were heard of which 160 were criminal
cases, 208 were land eases, mainly registrations and 228 were civil suits. At the end of the year 130
eases were pending. Most of the criminal eases were offences against the food control regulations or
smuggling charges. The total amount of fines inflicted amounted to over Rs. 40,000, most of this
sum accrued from fines in smuggling eases. No important estate eases were opened during the year
as the Minors Department dealt with most of the estates which in the past would have been adminis­
tered by the Bahrain Court. There were no eases of any particular interest or importance. During
recent years the number of big diving eases has fallen off which is probably due to an improvement
in the diving industry, bankruptcies have also decreased and there are fewer civil suits involving
large sums of money. It appears that now-a-days more transactions arc conducted on a cash basis
which reduces the amount of litigation and is a sign that there is more money available in the bazaars.
The total amount of court fees collected from all the Bahrain courts was Rs. 6,270, about Rs. 2,000
less than in 1,361.
In the Bahrain Small Court 1,264 cases were heard of which 318 were pending at the end of
the year. The Sunni and Sliia Shara Courts dealt with 363 eases and 62 eases were referred to/the
Majlis Tijara, most of them from the Small Court. Only two eases were submitted to the Shara Appeal
Court and fifteen to the Bahrain Appeal Court.

Towards the end of the year one of the three Sunni Qadis retired from the Shara Court on
account of age and ill health and was granted a pension. The death occurred of Shaikh Mohoincd
bin Ali Alkhalifah, one of the magistrates on the Small Court. Shaikh Ali bin Khalifah bin Daij
Alkhalifah and Shaikh Hamad bin Abdullah bin Ibrahim Alkhalifah were appointed magistrates on
the Small Court and Shaikh Abdullah bin llamad Alkhalifah was appointed President of the
Majlis Tijarah.

MUNICIPALITIES.
Manamah Municipality. The revenue in 1362 was Rs. 1,08,600 and the expenditure
was Rs. 1,09,400. In the previous year the revenue was Rs. 1,09,000 and the expenditure Rs. 96,000.
The main reasons for the increase in expenditure were higher rates of pay owing to war allowances and
the substantial rise in prices of all materials used by the municipality such as stone, sand, implements,
animal fodder and the upkeep of ageing municipal vehicles.
The most important work completed by the municipality during the year was the extension
of the sea road from the western end to beyond the Government hospital. The work was started in
1361 and the road was completed and surfaced in 1362. In addition to this work various town roads
were resurfaced with a mixture of oil and sand. Progress was also made in filling in some of the
unreclaimed areas inside the sea road and a large low lying piece of ground on the south of the town
by the side of the Rafaa road was raised by a filling of town rubbish and covered with earth. This
area used to contain stagnant water after the rains.
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