82 Law No. 5 of 1917 extends the jurisdiction of the Mixed Courts in respect of police offences. Previous to the promulgation of this law, where an European and an Egyptian were concerned together in the breach of a police regulation, while the European was prosecuted before the Mixed Court, jui'isdiction over the Egyptian was in general reserved to the Native Court. The effect of the law was to authorise the prosecution of both iarties in such cases before the Mixed Court. The advantage of this reform is that it avoids the necessity for separate proceedings before different jurisdictions in respect of the same matter, with the consequent danger of conflicting decisions.

The decree of the 13th April, 1918, made an important change in the conditions required for the admission to the full right to practice before the Mixed Court. This decree provides that at the expiration of the period of “§tage” or apprenticeship, candidates shall be required to pass an examination both of a theoretical and of a practical character. This examination is, of course, additional to the examinations candidates have already had to pass to obtain the degree in law which is a necessary condition of their admission to apprenticeship. The examining body is composed of the President of the Court of Appeal, the Procurator-General and the Chairman and two members of the Bar Council. The subjects of examination include the writing of an opinion upon a specific case and the drafting of a contract and of three of the principal documents of civil procedure. It may be confidently expected that this reform, the adoption of which was recommended by the Bar Council, will have the best effect upon the professional education of the junior bar. A similar system was extended to the apprenticeship of the Na.tive Bar by Law No. 12 of 1918.

The briefest mention will suffice for the following measures:—Law No. 24 of 1915 imposed a fee of 4 per cent, on all civil suits susceptible of elevation' in money before the cantonal Courts. Previous to this law the fee charged on cantonal suits was at the rate of 2 per cent, only and claims of P.T. 100 or less were exempted.

Law No. 10 of 1916 (applicable to Egyptians) and Law No. 11 of the same year (applicable to foreigners) modify in a similar sense section 2 of Law No. 4 of i013 which exempted small agricultural holdings from seizure for debt. The article in question had provided that existing debts might be renewed up to a date not later than the 4th January, 1918, without coming within the principal provisions of the law. The new legislation referred to replaces this fixed date by a period of five years from the term of the original contract.

In conclusion, I may allude to two laws relating to oaths; Law No. 1 of 1917 permits Government officials who, by reason of their technical knowledge are habitually called upon to act as experts before the Courts to take the requisite oath, once for all, before the President of the Court of Appeal. Law No. 16 of 1917 permits the country notables who compose the cantonal Courts to take their oath of office before the President of the Native Court of First Instance in whose area their cantonal Court is situated, instead of being obliged, as heretofore, to come to Cairo every year to take their oath before the Minister of Justice.

51. Jurisdiction. The following tables give a general view of the activities of the native and Mixed Courts respectively during the period under review;— NATIVE COURTS. Civil Jurisdiction. (1.1 Cases entered for trial.

Court of Appeal Central Courts— Appeal 1st Instance Summary Courts Markaz Courts Cantonal Courts Total ..

1912-13. 1913-14.

1,807 3,777 7,‘07 206,892 11,928 251,2.36 1,329 4,787 5,763 98,199 265,949 482,347 376,027 1914-15.

1,223 3,863 4,729 140,893* 191.5-16.

1,250 3,910 4,601 127,969 447,042 ! 247,274f 597,750 885,004 1916-17.

1,018 4.327 4,993 111,905 194,602 819,845 1917-18.

1,150 5,430 4,810 101,220 150,798 263,403 1918-19.

864 4,004 4,183 89,500 105,787 204,338 * The jurisdiction of the Summary tribunals was raised from £l!l.l00 to £K.150 as from May 30,1914. t In 1915, Court fees were for the flrst time made payable on cases brought in the Cantonal Courts.

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