'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎223v] (451/470)

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7. Judicial. —Under the Turkish Government the Civil and Canonical Law'
Courts were separate, hut the Qadhi presided over each. Otherwise there was a
separate establishment for each.
When we occupied Kifri, the Qadhi had fled with other departing officials, hut
the Mufti remained. Muhd. Sa‘id Effendi.
Muhd. Sa‘id Effendi was appointed Qadhi of the Shar‘ah Court.
P. O. Kirkuk had appointed Ahmad Effendi, Peace Court Judge at Kirkuk, and
this official returned with the troops to Kifri at the evacuation of Kirkuk. He was
then appointed Peace Court Judge at Kifri, and heard cases up to Rs. 500. When
Kirkuk was re-occupied he returned to his original appointment at Kirkuk, and I
appointed Muhd. Sa‘id Effendi Rais of the Peace Court in addition to his duties of
Sha‘rah Court. His establishment is small, consisting of a clerk, bailiff, doorkeeper,
and peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). . But occasionally, in commercial suits, local merchants are invited to sit as
members of the court. Muhammed Sa‘id Effendi is possessed of considerable
judicial and religious learning, but, unfortunately, has not the power of eloquent
and conciliatory speech.
8. Police and Crime. —There has been little crime. Two murders were settled
by A. P. O. Tuz by tribal fasl, and one by the exaction of the death sentence upon the
murderer. Two murders only occurred in the nahiyahs of Kifri and Qarah Tappah, one
of which w r as settled by tribal fasl and in the case of the other, the murderer was
known, hut ran away and cannot he apprehended.
About a dozen cases of burglary occurred, which required police action, and the
offenders sentenced, except in one case at Qarah Tappah, in which the keepers of the
canteen amongst the troops there alleged that they had been burgled of Rs. 12,000.
No clue at all was found, and I have considerable doubts as to the genuineness
of the claim.
The lack of an honest yet capable police inspector is severely felt. In most
cases of theft good detective work was done by Mukhtars and inhabitants of
villages.
There were not more than three cases of highway robbery within the district,
though several Kifri caravans were robbed in the Dali ‘Abbas area by the ‘Azzah
tribe.
The people have a habit of losing donkeys at night, and petitioning that they
were robbed of them.
The donkey-loser is the most familiar petitioner.
One case of extortion was tried and sentenced.
The blockade was accompanied by several trials for bribery and abuse of passes.
No police constables or detectives are really necessary in this district. It is
better that the villagers should continue their detective energies, hut what is much
needed is an honest and capable man who can he sent out to investigate cases, and
who will put up cases in such a way that they may he immediately proceeded with.
The combination of honesty and ability is difficult to find.
9. Shabanah. —No Shabanah force has been raised in this district. Sanction was
obtained to arm 195 Political and Blockade sowars and footmen.
I have yet no need of Shahanah in this district, and it would be difficult to raise
a force of horsemen willing to accept military training. All posts, when necessary,
are maintained by the tribal chiefs, and are more satisfactory in a tribal area. What
is necessary is a number, and no very large number, of essentially “ odd job ” men.
They carry mails, take messages, make arrests, escort convoys and Government
officials, turn out and direct labour on canals and roads, guard Government offices
and dumps.
A number of trained foot police would be of use in the guards for the Political
Office, hut the difficulty has been to find anyone to train them. Corp. Wooley was
attached to this office as blockade policeman up to mid-November, when lie was
transferred to duties of supervision of political sowars and foot.
During the hot weather the greater part of the sowars were Kirkuk gendarmerie
who came from Kirkuk with the evacuating troops. These made up for their extreme
dishonesty by a comparative knowledge of discipline and care of horses. At the
reoccupation of Kirkuk these, with a few exceptions, returned to Kirkuk.
The sowars who remain are tribal, enlisted under security from their chiefs.
These men require careful handling and cannot at once be forced to drill. On the
other hand, a good uniform is necessary for purposes of attracting recruits.