Occupation of Cavalla Case

• Jurisdiction: Grecia
• Date: 01 January 1930
• Docket Number: Case No. 292
• Court: Regional Court (Greece)

Greece, Court of Thrace.

Case No. 292

Occupation of Cavalla Case.

Occupation of Enemy Territory — Effect of Occupation on Laws in Force — Validity of New Laws Promulgated by the Sovereign — Whether Extending to the Occupied Territory.

The Facts.—Cavalla, a Greek town in Eastern Macedonia, was occupied by the Bulgarian Army in 1916, during the World War. The question before the Court was whether a contract of sale of property concluded during the occupation was valid regardless of a Greek governmental decree prohibiting the sale of property in the region in question. The Court of first instance affirmed the validity of the sale.

Held: that the contract of sale was valid according to the law in force. The military occupation did not produce the effect of extending the legislation of the occupying country to the occupied territory. On the other hand, the law in force in that territory continued to be valid and could not be changed by Greek legislative measures. The Decree of 25 October, 1916, of the Provisional Government of Salonika had no force...