British Summary Court facts for kids
The British Summary Court was a special court set up after World War I. It was created by the Treaty of Versailles, a peace agreement signed in 1919. This court worked with the Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission, a group that helped manage the Rhineland area of Germany after the war. The court's job was to make sure people followed the rules during the ten years the British forces were there, from 1919 to 1929.
How the British Summary Court Worked
The British Summary Court was created because of the Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919. This treaty set up the Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission. This group was in charge of the occupied areas and needed to keep things safe for the armies. To do this, they could create local rules. A court was then needed to make sure these rules were followed.
The court worked a lot like a magistrate's court in England. A lawyer, called a barrister, acted as the judge. Another barrister worked as the main prosecutor, who brought cases to the court. The judge usually made all the decisions alone. However, if a case could lead to a longer sentence, up to five other officers would also act as judges.
People who were accused could have any lawyer represent them, whether British or German. The court could also use both the English and German languages.
Between 1919 and 1925, the court heard 4,295 cases. For smaller problems, the outcomes could include fines or short prison stays, usually in a German prison. Most cases were about things like having weapons without permission, going onto British property, using train seats meant for British officers, driving unsafely, or having British government items. Many German citizens watched the court sessions, and German lawyers even came to learn about British legal methods.
Where the Court Was Located
From 1919 to 1925, the court was located in Cologne. Later, from 1926 until the British forces left in 1929, it moved to Wiesbaden.
The Wiesbaden Years (1926–1929)
During the years 1926 to 1929, Major H. Gatehouse was the main judge. The court handled 595 cases in this period. Out of these, 54 cases resulted in the person being found not guilty. Most of the cases involved people who had not followed rules about where they were allowed to live, as set by the High Commission. The longest prison stays given during this time were nine months, and these were served in German prisons.
