Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1453

 FIJ^ANCE

1331

Under a law of 1904, there are also weekly sittings in every markaz and kism for the disposal of petty offences, the judge having powers up to three months' imprisonment or line of £E10, and the prosecution being conducted by the police. Some of these markaz tribunals (at present numbering 25) have a limited civil jurisdiction, without appeal, up to £E10 in matters of real property, and £E20 in other matters. Civil cases not within the competence of the markaz or Summary Tribunals are heard in first instance by the Central Tribunals, with an appeal to the Court of Appeal. The Central Tribunals also hear civil and criminal appeals from the Summary Tribunals. Since 1905-6 serious crimes (and, under a law of 1910, all press offences) are tried at the Central Tribunals by the judges of the Court of Appeal sitting as an Assize Court, assizes being held monthly. There is a recourse on points of law to five judges of the Court of Appeal sitting in Cairo as a Court of Cassation. The prosecution before Summary Tribunals and Assize Courts is entrusted to the Parqiiet, which is directed by a Procureur General; the investigation of crime is ordinarily conducted by the Parquet, or by the police under the direction of the Parquet : cases going before an Assize Court are further submitted to a special committing judge. Offences against irrigation laws, &c., are tried by special administrative tribunals.

Owing to the Capitulations, which apply to Egypt as being part of the Ottoman Empire, foreigners are exempted from the jurisdiction of the local tribunals. Mixed tribunals were instituted in 1876, consisting partly of native and partly of foreign judges, with jurisdiction in civil matters between natives and foreigners and between foreigners of diff"erent nationali- ties, or even between foreigners of the same nationality if the dispute relates to landed property in Egypt. These tribunals have, also, a limited penal jurisdiction in cases of police offences, and in 1900 penal jurisdiction was conferred upon them in connection with offences against the bankruptcy laws. There are three Mixed Tribunals of First Instance, with a Court of Appeal sitting at Alexandria. Civil cases bet\yeen foreigners of the same nationality are tried by their own Consular Courts, which also try criminal cases not within the jurisdiction of the Mixed Tribunals, in which the accused are foreigners. By Decree of January 30, 1910, the Mixed Tribunals are continued for a term of five years. The Prisons Department in 1911 dealt with 81,410 persons, of whom 3,232 were females.

Finance.

Revenue and expenditure for five years : —

Years

Kevenue

Expenditure

Years

Revenue

Expenditure

1908 1909 1910

£E

15,521,775 15,402,872 15,965,693

JE 1 14,408,144 14,241,602 14,414,499

1911 1912 1913 1

£^

16,792,750 17,515,743 16,130,000

£E

14,872,055 15,470,584 15,630,000

1 Estii

nates.

■"^

The final accounts for the year 1911, and the budgetary estimates for the year 1912, are as follows : —

4 Q 2