Page 444 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

JUDICIAL

(From the report by Mr. Salim al Arayedh, Superintendent of the Judicial Department.)
Bahrain Senior Court.—The number of cases filed during the year in the Bahrain Senior
Court was 802 of which 190 cases were civil suits, including 6 estate cases, 257 were land registration
cases and 355 were criminal cases.

Most of the criminal oases consisted of thefts, gambling, and contravention of the liquor and
motor regulations. There was only one important case but this attracted a great deal of interest
both in Bahrain and in Kuwait. A Bahrain Nakhuda was charged with having stolen Rs. 80,000 in
notes from a packet which he was entrusted by a Kuwait merchant to convey to Bahrain. The
case was not proved against the accused, who was discharged, though during the course of the hearing
he was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment for gross contempt of court, only once before has it
been necessary for a Bahrain Court to punish a person appearing before it on such a count. The
evidence in this case revealed the degree of confidence which the Arabs in the Gulf place in each other;
the packet containing Rs. 1,00,000 in notes was handed over to the Nakhuda by the consignor without
a receipt being taken, this being the normal custom.
The total amount of fines which were collected during the year was Rs. 12,392 as
against Rs. 20,404 in the previous year. The decrease was due to the decline in the number of
smuggling and Black Market cases. The sum of Rs. 20,561 was collected in court fees, this was about
Rs. 4,000 more than in 1365, the difference was partly due to a revision in the scale of court fees which
was made in the beginning of the year.
Other Courts.—The system which had been adopted in 1365 in the case of the Senior Court
was applied during the year to the Small Court which was split into two divisions, each division presided
over by two Magistrates. This measure was taken in order to expedite the hearing and final disposal
of the increasing number of suits in the Bahrain Small Court. The total number of cases filed during
the year was 1,040, of these 894 cases were disposed of and 146 cases remained pending at the end of
the year. In addition 349 execution suits were registered out of which 230 cases were disposed of.
The Sunni Shera Court disposed of 130 cases out of 173 cases which were submitted to the
Qadis; this year’s work showed a considerable speeding up in the hearing of Shera cases due partly
to the activity of the youngest and most lately appointed Qadi. The Shia Court settled 101 of the
116 cases which came before it.

During the year 51 cases were referred to the Majlis Tajara and 40 of these cases were returned
to the Courts leaving 11 cases jxmding at the end of the year. The Majlis is an advisory body to which
civil cases involving local customs are referred. Two new members were appointed to the Majlis to
replace retiring members and the membership of the committee was reduced from 11 to 7.
The Shia Shera Appeal Court disposed of all the cases, 15 only, which were submitted to it
during the year. The Bahrain Appeal Court disposed of 13 out of the 32 cases which were referred
to it.
The cost of maintaining the Judicial Department, State Courts, Shera Courts, etc., during the
year, was Rs. 80,700. Approximately Rs. 33,000 was collected in fines and court fees.