Bahrain : The Supreme Judicial Council has completed its preparations to implement the provisions of the Corrective Justice Law for Children and their protection from ill-treatment promulgated by Law 4/2021 that comes into effect on August 18.
The Council has held several meetings and workshops between judges and law enforcement agencies in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments and the Public Prosecution.
The Council’s Vice Chairman and President of the Court of Cassation Abdullah bin Hassan Al Buainain has issued several decisions in this regard related to the implementation of the provisions of the law, most notably the decision to form the children’s corrective justice courts.
The High Corrective Justice Court for Children has three judges, assisted by two experts recruited by the court, with at least one of them being a woman.
The Lower Corrective Justice Court for Children has only one judge assisted by an expert recruited by the court.
The formation in both courts took into account the presence of social and psychological experts in the court.
The corrective justice courts are competent to review cases arising from crimes committed by children who were over 15 at the time of the crime.
The Council and the Ministry coordinated to prepare the courtrooms to suit the situation of the children and achieve the goals and objectives envisaged by the law, mainly the psychological and social aspects regarding the children. The corrective justice courts have been separated from ordinary courts.
The Council has also been coordinating with the Public Prosecution to determine the criminal cases covered by the law and refer them, depending on their merit, either to the Corrective Justice Courts or to the Judicial Committee.
