UN Palestine Commission – Card Indexes prepared by the Palestine Administration – Letter from United Kingdom

23 March 2013

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

Communication Concerning Card Indexes Prepared
by Palestine Administration

The following communication, concerning card indexes prepared by the Attorney General’s Office in Jerusalem, has been received from Mr. Fletcher-Cooke of the United Kingdom Delegation.

UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Empire State Building

New York 1, N.Y.

22nd March, 1948.

My dear Ralph,

The Attorney General’s office in Jerusalem has prepared a set of card indexes which show in what Ordinances and in what sections of the Ordinances, reference is made to any officer of the Palestine Government. These can be indexed under Ordinances or under officers, and in the latter case it is possible to see at a glance with what Ordinance any particular officer is concerned, and to find out precisely what powers or duties are conferred or imposed upon him.

2. This Card Index might be of considerable assistance to anybody wished to prepare legislation for the purpose of transferring to officers of the United Nations Commission (or to any other organ of the United Nations) the powers and duties at present discharged by officers of the Palestine Government.

3. I have today received from Jerusalem a set of these cards (which incidentally are quite bulky). They are at the moment indexed under Ordinances but it would be only a matter of a few hours’ work to re-sort the cards so as to index them under the names of the officers concerned.

4. If you or any of the legal staff of the United Nations should ever wish to consult these cards in connection with the preparation of legislation for Palestine, I should be only too pleased to make them available.

Yours ever,

J. Fletcher-Cooke (signed)

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche

Principal Secretary to the United Nations

Commission on Palestine,

United Nations, Lake Success.