The Ansei treaties which followed the 'opening' of Japan in 1859 provided for extra-territorial rights, by which the accused of any treaty power were dealt with by that coutry's own courts. This portrait details the activities of the consular courts from 1859-99.

Sir Nicholas John Hannen (1842-1900) was the first professionally British qualified judge based full-time in Japan and was involved in many different legal proceedings from 1871 until his death in 1900. This essay sketches his career in Japan, during which he was tasked with identifying and addressing deficiencies in the Yokohama Court arrangements.

Sir Edmund Hornby, Charles Goodwin, and Sir Richard Rennie were the first British judges sent to establish a new British Judicial regime in China and Japan. This chapter covers their histories and the Maria Luz affair.

This essay details the career of Robert Anderson Mowat (1843-1925) in his role as judge of the British Court for Japan between 1891 and 1897.

Sir Hiram Shaw Wilkinson (1840-1926) was one of the leading personalities in the British extra-territorial regime in Japan. He was a member of the Japan Consular Service, an independent practising barrister and the last Judge of Her Britannic Majesty's Court for Japan.