Annual report on Sarawak.

Date:
[1950]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on Sarawak. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    assessors. There is a further appeal to the Supreme Court, in which the Judge sits with the Secretary for Native Affairs (or with a First Class Magistrate other than the Magistrate from whose Court the appeal lay) and with two assessors who must be Native Officers or Chiefs. As a general rule the Native Courts are competent to try only cases in which all the parties are natives, including cases arising from the breach of native law and custom, civil cases where the value of the subject matter does not exceed fifty dollars, and claims to untitled land. The Supreme Court Library in Kuching suffered during the period of Japanese occupation. Replacements have been made and new books purchased, but the Library must still be regarded as falling a long way short of what is desired. During 1950 the Library was fortunate in obtaining from Australia a complete set of the Law Reports and an almost complete set of the English Reports. This made it possible to transfer the Law Journal Reports to Sibu for the use of the Second Circuit Judge. Probate and Administration. In addition to the issuing of grants of probate to the executors and trustees appointed by the wills of deceased persons, and the granting of Letters of Administration in cases of intestacies, the Registrar assumed official administration of eleven deceased persons’ estates by virtue of the power vested in him by section 3 of the Administration of Estates Ordin¬ ance. ' The majority of these estates have during the course of the year been duly administered and the remaining assets and property after payment of the deceaseds’ just debts, have been duly distributed amongst the beneficiaries entitled thereto according to law and custom. ^ A particularly large estate fell during the course of the vear, which alone paid estate duty and interest amounting to $29,500.00. Lunatic Persons' Estates. Four new lunatic persons’ estates were administered by the Official Assignee. Two were landed property owners, and one was a merchant. As curator the Official Assignee took over the management of, and appointed a manager to look after and run, the business. The curator also looked after the welfare of the lunatic’s family.