File 959/1914 Pt 2 'Abyssinia: Order in Council. Recovery of maintenance charges of prisoners convicted in Abyssinia and confined in Aden District Prison.' [‎314r] (553/878)

p.2465
From C.H.Jentinck, to The Rt•Hon.Austen diamberlain.M^P
dated 17th June 1925.
Addis Ababa,
Sir
I have the honour to transmit herewith copies of
the following documents relating to the appeal to me by a
British<Indian subject, Abdul Kanni Mohamed Baksh, against
a sentence passed,by the Consular Court at Harrar:-
(1) Mr.Plowman* s despatch No.27
(2) Mr• Plowman 1 s despatch Ho.30,
with (a) evidence
(b) charg e
(c) judgment.
(3) Memorandum of Appeal.
(4) Reply of Counsel for the Crown.
(5) Summing up of Court and Judgment
Upon the receipt of a letter from the Counsel
for the Defence stating* the grounds on which Abdul Kanni
wished to appeal, I issued an order suspending the execution
of the sentence and heard the Appeal in Court on the 15th
instant.. In view of my lack of experience in such.matters,
I decided that in the interests of Justice I must call in
the assistance of assessors. I therefore selected two British
and one Indian. Counsel for the Defence agreed to raise no
objection.
The irregularities in the Consular trial were
very severely criticised by the assessors and I almost
decided to quash the case. As, however, we were all satisfied
that Abdul Kanni had indeed been guilty of an illegal act,
and as he could not in all fairness plead ingorance of the
law after after the warning given him by His Majesty’s
Consul. I decided that it would be tantamount to a
miscarriage of justice to let him off altogetner. In view,
The Rt.Hon,
Austen Chamberlain,M.P.
etc. etc. etc