Britain had a functioning consular service in Japan from 1859 after the signing of the 1858 Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce between James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and the Tokugawa Shogunate until 1941 when Japan invaded the British colonial empire and declared war on the United Kingdom.
The Consular Service was established with officials who were expected to serve their entire careers in Japan. The entry-level position was as student interpreter who were expected to learn Japanese. In the early years almost all dealings with Japanese officials were in Japanese and British consular officials had a high standard in the spoken and written language. [1] This declined over time as more Japanese officials learnt English. [2]
Until 1899, British Consular Officials exercised extraterritorial jurisdiction over British subjects in Japan. Consular officials sat as judges in consular courts in all treaty ports. Until 1865 appeals from decisions of consular officials were made to the Supreme Court of Hong Kong. From 1865 appeals from decisions could be made to the British Supreme Court for China and Japan in Shanghai. From 1871 to 1878 a judge from Shanghai was based in Yokohama sitting first as a branch of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan. Later they were treated as a judge of the Kanagawa Consular Court. In 1879 a British Court for Japan was created in Yokohama which had first instance jurisdiction in Kanagawa and appellate jurisdiction from other consular courts in Japan. Appeals from the Court for Japan lay to Supreme Court in Shanghai. [3]
The following judges were based in Yokohama from 1871 to 1877 before the establishment of the British Court for Japan.
Between 1865 and 1872, Sir Edmund Grimani Hornby, the Chief Judge of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan also heard cases in Japan when traveling on circuit.
The following were full-time judges of the British Court for Japan. Most of the above consular officials named above also acted as judges as part of their consular duties.
In international law, extraterritoriality is the state of being exempted from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations.
Sir Ernest Mason Satow,, was a British scholar, diplomat and Japanologist.
Japan–United Kingdom relations are the bilateral and diplomatic relations between Japan and the United Kingdom.
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The Yokohama Archives of History in Naka ward, central Yokohama, near Yamashita Park, is a repository for archive materials on Japan and its connection with foreign powers since the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853. The archives are next to Kaiko Hiroba where Commodore Perry landed to sign the Convention of Kanagawa.
The United States Court for China was a United States district court that had extraterritorial jurisdiction over U.S. citizens in China. It existed from 1906 to 1943 and had jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, with appeals taken to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.
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The British Supreme Court for China was a court established in the Shanghai International Settlement to try cases against British subjects in China, Japan and Korea under the principles of extraterritoriality.
Sir Hiram Shaw Wilkinson, JP, DL (1840–1926) was a leading British judge and diplomat, serving in China and Japan. His last position before retirement was as Chief Justice of the British Supreme Court for China and Corea.
Hiram Parkes "Harrie" Wilkinson, KC served as Crown Advocate of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan from 1897 to 1925. He was also Acting Assistant Judge of the British Court for Siam from 1903 to 1905 and Judge of the British High Court of Weihaiwei from 1916 to 1925.
Sir Nicholas John Hannen was a British barrister, diplomat and judge who served in China and Japan. He was the Chief Justice of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan from 1891 to 1900 and also served concurrently as Consul-General in Shanghai from 1891 to 1897. He was judge of the British Court for Japan from 1881 to 1891. He was the brother of James Hannen, a noted British judge of the 19th century. His son, Nicholas "Beau" Hannen was a famous actor of the early and mid-20th century.
The British Court for Japan was a court established in Yokohama in 1879 to try cases against British subjects in Japan, under the principles of extraterritoriality. The court also heard appeals from British consular courts in Japan. Appeals from the British Court for Japan lay to the British Supreme Court for China and Japan based in the Shanghai International Settlement.
Sir Skinner Turner was a British judge who served in Africa, Siam and China. His last position was as the Chief Judge of the British Supreme Court for China from 1921 to 1927.
Sir Richard Temple Rennie was a British barrister and judge who served in China and Japan. He was the Chief Justice of the British Supreme Court for China and Japan from 1881 to 1891. He was judge of the British Court for Japan from its creation in 1879 to 1881.
Robert Anderson Mowat, was a British judge and diplomat, serving in China and Japan. His last position before retirement was as Judge of the British Court for Japan.
Student interpreter was, historically, an entry-level position in the British and American diplomatic and consular service, principally in China, Japan, Siam and, in the case of the United States, Turkey. It is no longer used as a title. A number of former student interpreters rose to senior diplomatic positions.
George Jamieson CMG (1843-1920) was a British diplomat and judge who served in China. His last position before retirement from government service was as British Consul-General in Shanghai.
Consular courts were law courts established by foreign powers in countries where they had extraterritorial rights. They were presided over by consular officers.
The Walsh brothers, Thomas Walsh, John Greer Walsh,, Richard James Walsh, and Robert George Walsh, were supposed American merchants seen in Japanese bibliography as the founders of the Walsh, Hall and the company.