Legal System of Bahrain
Bahrain is located in Middle East. It is geographically situated in middle east, archipelago in the persian gulf, east of saudi arabia. The country achieved independence on 15 august 1971 (from the uk). The capital is Manama.
Government Overview
Government Type: constitutional monarchy Chief of State: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999) Head of Government: Prime Minister Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (since 11 November 2020) Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch Administrative Divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asimah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern) National Holiday: National Day, 16 December (1971) Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Legal System
The legal system of Bahrain is described as mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Constitutional Framework
The constitution has the following history: previous 1973; latest adopted 14 February 2002, entry into force 14 February 2002 Amendment Process: proposed by the king or by at least 15 members of either chamber of the National Assembly followed by submission to an Assembly committee for review and, if approved, submitted to the government for restatement as drafts; passage requires a two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both chambers and validation by the king; constitutional articles on the state religion (Islam), state language (Arabic), and the monarchy and “inherited rule” cannot be amended
Judicial Branch
Highest Court(s): Court of Cassation (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the president and 6 members); High Sharia Court of Appeal (court sittings include the president and at least one judge) Judge Selection: Court of Cassation judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure; Constitutional Court president and members appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, a body chaired by the monarch and includes judges from the Court of Cassation, sharia law courts, and Civil High Courts of Appeal; members serve 9-year terms; High Sharia Court of Appeal member appointments by royal decree for a specified tenure Subordinate Courts: Civil High Courts of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; High Sharia Court of Appeal; Senior Sharia Court; Administrative Courts of Appeal; military courts
Legislative Branch
The legislative structure consists of bicameral Lower Chamber: Council of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nuwab) (40 (all directly elected) seats) Electoral System (Lower Chamber): plurality/majority Upper Chamber: Shura Council (Majlis Al-Shura)
Citizenship and Suffrage
Citizenship by Birth: no Citizenship by Descent: the father must be a citizen of Bahrain Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Historical Background
In 1783, the Sunni AL-KHALIFA family took power in Bahrain. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. A steady decline in oil production and reserves since 1970 prompted Bahrain to take steps to diversify its economy, in the process developing petroleum processing and refining, aluminum production, and hospitality and retail sectors.
This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Bahrain based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.