The origins of the Foreign Jurisdiction Act and the extension of British sovereignty

Abstract

The passing of the Foreign Jurisdiction Act of 1843 has been described as an early stage in the extension of British hegemony over the Ottoman empire and a 'juridical simulation of "conquest"'. This article argues that it was really designed to extend British jurisdiction over disorderly individuals, not over territory. It was part of an effort to enforce sovereignty over detached subjects that began in the early modern period, and became more urgent as the empire and economic hegemony increased. It was also not an entirely British process - French governments engaged in the same policies at the same time - and was extended beyond the boundaries of the Middle East to take in a world compass...