Control of The Press in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 873. Chapter XXI: The Press: Section 1

CHAPTER XXI.

THE PRESS.

Section 1.

CONTROL OF THE PRESS.

Before 1933. when the Press Ordinance was enacted, the sanction for the control of the press in Palestine resided in legislation, both Ottoman and British, as follows :-

(1) The Ottoman Law for the printing of books of 1904. (2) The Ottoman Law of printing presses of 1910.

i3) The Ottoman Press Law of 1910, as amended at various dates.

(4) Certain sections of the Criminal Law (Seditious Offences) Ordinance, 1929.

(5) Articles 137-139 of the Ottoman Penal Code.

2. The Press Ordinance * superseded (1), (2), (3) and (5), and (4J is embodied in the Criminal Code Ordinance, 1936. The Press Ordinance lays down in general the terms under which licences may be granted to produce and publish newspapers and to conduct printing presses. It also vests in the High Commissioner certain powers in connection with :-

(a) the publication by newspapers of official communiques;

(b) the suspension, or warning, of newspapers on account of the publication of certain matter specified under section 19 of the Ordinance;

(c) the exclusion from Palestine of newspapers published outside and likely to endanger the public peace.

In March, 1936, the terms of section 19 were amended so as to specify on broader lines the nature of the matter, published in
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*Drayton, Vol. II, p. 1214 as amended by in 1936, 1937, 1934 and 1943

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