§ 40. Major LONGasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether it is proposed, if the proposals set out in the White Paper in regard to Egypt are accepted, to hand over to the mixed courts jurisdiction in matters of statut personnel; and, if so, how it is proposed the system will operate in view of the fact that there is no common territorial law of statut personnel in Egypt which the mixed courts could apply?
Mr. A. HENDERSONPending the conclusion of the present negotiations, I cannot say more than that the difficulties to which the hon. and gallant Member refers have been borne in mind.
§ 41. Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in the event of the proposals in the White Paper in regard to Egypt being carried through, Egyptians will be appointed to the posts of president and vice-president of the mixed court of appeal and to the presidency and vice-presidency of the first instance courts; and, if so, as an Egyptian will then be qualified to sit alone as president of the summary, referee, and adjudicative courts, how is it proposed to maintain the principle that the majority of judges hearing cases in the mixed courts shall be Europeans?
Mr. HENDERSONThe points raised by the hon. Member were not mentioned in the Proposals for an Anglo-Egyptian Settlement (Cmd. 3376) to which he refers, and have not been discussed during the present negotiations. No change of the nature suggested by the hon. Member can take place, except as a result of agreement between Egypt and the Capitulatory Powers.
§ Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEIf this is intended under the Proposals, what is the object of pressing a change in the mixed courts, which have nothing whatever to do with the Egyptian people?