American, European and Japanese residents, while amenable to the Palestine courts, are entitled to the right of trial before a British magistrate, if they prefer.
An official statement to this effect has been made here in order to remove misunderstandings which have arisen in regard to the legal status of Americans and British subjects in Palestine.
The provisions of Article 8 of the Mandate, it is stated, definitely abrogate “the immunities and privileges of foreigners, including the benefits of Consular jurisdiction and protection, as formerly enjoyed by capitulation or usage in the Ottoman Empire.”
Under the Palestine Order of Council, 1922, however, “any person who is a national subject of a European or American state, may claim to be tried by a British magistrate for any offense except those of a very light nature.”
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