Bahraini Woman Uncovers 50-Year-Old Death Certificate Issue While Claiming Pension

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini woman has discovered a shocking oversight in her late father's records 50 years after his death.  While attempting to claim her father's pension, she learned that no death certificate was ever issued despite his passing at Salmaniya Medical Complex in 1974.  This was revealed by her lawyer, Zahra Nuamah.

The case, as detailed by Nuamah, began when the woman approached the Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) to claim her father's retirement pension.  The organisation requested necessary documentation, including a death certificate.  However, a request to the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) for the certificate was denied without a court order.

This prompted Nuamah to file a lawsuit before the Lower Civil Court.  The court heard the plaintiff's claim for a court order compelling the iGA to issue a death certificate for her father, who died at Salmaniya Medical Complex on December 1st, 1974, and to register the death in its official records.

The court referred the case to a committee as stipulated in Article 7 of Law Decree No. 6 of 2000.  The committee recommended granting the plaintiff's request, a recommendation the court accepted.  Based on the committee's report and findings, the court ruled in favour of the plaintiff.

The court's final judgment mandates the iGA to issue a death certificate for the deceased and register the death in its official records.