Criminal Case Dismissed Following Appellant's Death

TDT | Manama                                                      

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A criminal case has been dismissed by the Court of Cassation due to the death of the appellant, a woman who filed a complaint against an establishment specialised in fitting kitchens.  The case stemmed from a consumer protection complaint alleging the non-delivery of a kitchen and a subsequent claim for 2390 dinars.

According to lawyer Ahmed Touq, the Public Prosecution charged his client with failing to comply with a binding decision from the Consumer Protection Directorate in 2023. The charges followed a letter from the Minister of Industry and Commerce regarding a complaint from the woman against his client's establishment. The complaint detailed an agreement to refund 2390 dinars after the establishment failed to install a kitchen as agreed.

Initially, a lower court fined the appellant 100 dinars. This was appealed, resulting in the lower court overturning the fine. However, the Public Prosecution appealed this decision. The High Criminal Court, sitting as an appeals court, overturned the acquittal and imposed a 1000-dinar fine in an absence hearing. This ruling was subsequently challenged, and the court reduced the fine back to 100 dinars.

Mr Touq filed an appeal to the Court of Cassation on January 31, 2024. However, the Court of Cassation's ruling cited data from the Ministry of Interior confirming the woman's death on May 11, 2024, after the appeal was filed. Therefore, the court dismissed the case based on Article 17 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which stipulates the extinction of criminal proceedings upon the death of the accused.