British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 134

CHAPTER V.

The period of office of a local council is determined by the Order under which it is established and varies from council to council; the normal period is two or three years. Elections have taken place during the years of war at the times determined by law.

No period of office is fixed by law for a village council which may, however, be reconstituted from time to time by the District Commissioner whenever in his opinion such reconstitution is desirable.

10. These local bodies of all three types exercise their authority "n the main by means of by-laws under which they provide water and conservancy, regulate markets and the slaughter of animals, maintain roads and parks, provide scavenging services and generally undertake the normal duties of a local authority. They do not, however, with one exception, maintain any medical services; the exception is Tel Aviv where there is a municipal hospital. Under Part II of the Education Ordinance* they are automatically the local education authority within the area of their jurisdiction; the Jewish local authorities undertake their responsibilities as such and have long imposed education rates to meet in part the expenses of their schools; but only in recent years have the Arab local authorities become alive to their responsibilities in this direction; a number of them are now levying small education rates to supplement Government expenditure on education.

11. Under the Municipal Courts Ordinance, 1928**, the High Commissioner may appoint fit persons to be magistrates of a town and to form a municipal court; and he may, on the recommendation of the Chief Justice, appoint as chairman of such court a stipendiary magistrate. The jurisdiction of these courts extends to offences against municipal regulations and by-laws and certain other offences committed in the municipal area. The court may pass sentence of a fine up to £P.20 and/or imprisonment up to fifteen days. Appeal lies to a district court. Municipal courts are now established in respect of the municipal areas of Jaffa, Tel Aviv and Gaza only.

In December, 1941, the High Commissioner took powers under the Emergency Powers (Colonial Defence) Order-in-Council, 1939 *** to establish municipal tribunals for the trial of offences against war legislation controlling supplies of food and essential
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* Drayton, Vol. I, p. 628.
** Drayton, Vol. II, p. 1015.
*** The Defence (Municipal Tribunals) Regulations, 1941. Laws of 1941, Vol. III, p. 1925.

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