'Government of Bahrain Annual Report for Year 1363 (January 1944 - December 1944)' [‎326v] (30/76)

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Over two hundred small plots of grounds are let to occupants of " barasti " huts on the out
skirts of Manama. The tenants are mostly foreigners and the demand for plots of land is increasing.
The ground rent is nominal, eleven annas per month for a plot measuring 45 X45 feet but the system
ensures that the Government retains the ownership of the ground.
A number of applications were received from persons wishing to buy Government land, many
of these were rejected as it was evident that the purchasers wanted the land in order to speculate and
not for occupation, other applications were withdrawn owing to the high valuation set by the Govern
ment which was based upon the average of land values or rentals in the immediate neighbourhood
of the site. Sales of Government land produced approximately Rs. 3,000.
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.
Bahrain Courts. During the year 641 cases were heard in the Bahrain Court out of which
306 were criminal cases, 142 were civil suits and 193 were land cases. There was a very large increase
in the number of criminal cases but the majority of them were offenses against the Food Control
regulations. I* ines amounting to over Rs. 34,000 were collected. The court heard no bankruptcy or
estate cases. The total amount collected in court fees amounted to Rs. 8,000. The only case of
outstanding interest was one in which a wealthy Arab woman was tried for a theft of a large sum of
money which she was alleged to have stolen from her father at the time of his death from plague
over twenty years ago. 1 he case was made by the representative of various heirs of the defendant's
father, Ali bin Abdulla Abul, a merchant of Muharraq. The woman, who was blind, appeared herself
in court during a large number of hearings and defended herself with vigour and intelligence. The
charge was not proved and after the case had closed the woman filed a suit against Ali bin Abdulla
charging him with having withheld from her part of her inheritance from her father. The case caused
considerable public interest.
In the Small Court 764 cases were heard, in addition to execution suits, of which 218 were
still pending at the end of the year.
The Sunni Shera Court dealt with 225 cases, mostly divorce, inheritance and estate cases.
At the end of the year 60 cases were still unsettled. In the Shia Shera Court 77 cases were heard of
which 12 were pending at the end of the year. The Majlis Tajara was referred to by the Bahrain
Courts in 45 cases.
There were 6 appeals from Shera judgments to the Shia Appeal Kadi and 31 appeals were made
in cases from the other courts of which all but 10 were disposed of.
Towards the end of the year a number of changes were made in the Bahrain Courts. Mr. Salim
at Arayedh who had some previous experience in the Bombay High Court was transferred from the
Education Department and appointed as Superintendent of the Judicial Department. There was a
reallocation of the duties of the clerical staff and new methods were introduced in the system of filing
cases. All cases for the last 20 years were sorted and rearranged. The Bahrain Court previously
consisted of two Magistrates who sat together on four days of the week and with the Adviser on one
day. The two Magistrates now sit separately, in adjoining court rooms, on four days and once in
the week they and the Adviser sit together. By this arrangement the hearing of cases has been
considerably speeded up with the result that within a few months all pending cases should be disposed
of. Ihe system of alloting both old and new cases to the two courts is automatic and neither the
parties or the Magistrates are aware, until summons are issued, in which court cases will be heard.
1 his arrangement has much to commend itself.
Shaikh Rashid bin Mohammed, the third Magistrate on the Bahrain Court, retired during the
year owing to his increasing blindness and ill-health. Shaikh Rashid was for many years the President
of the Majlis Tajara before being appointed a Magistrate on the Bahrain Court.
New legislation was introduced to control increases in the rents of buildings. This became
necessary owing to the abnormal demand for houses which led to gross profiteering by landlords.
Ihe regulation was extended to include shops, storehouses, etc., etc., at the request of a number of
local merchants. No cases under the new regulation were made in the Bahrain Courts.