Court Orders Issuance of ID and Passport to Woman After Years-Long Paternity Dispute

TDT | Manama

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The High Civil Court has ordered the issuance of a passport and national identity card to a 20-year-old woman after a protracted legal battle to establish her paternity. The case, which spanned several years, involved a mother's persistent efforts to secure official documentation for her daughter, born from a dissolved marriage over 15 years ago.

The father initially denied paternity, prompting the mother to file a lawsuit. After numerous attempts, the father finally agreed to a DNA test which confirmed his biological relationship to the daughter. Following the positive test results, the High Civil Court ruled in favour of the mother's request, according to her lawyer, Zahra Nema.

Nema detailed the case, explaining that her client, a Bahraini citizen, gave birth to the daughter more than 20 years ago. "Three years ago, the mother initially filed a legal case to establish the daughter's parentage, but the initial ruling was dismissed," Nema said, adding that: "The mother appealed the decision, leading to a successful appeal in the Sharia Court. This appeal not only established paternity but also urgently granted the daughter the right to live with her mother."

However, relevant authorities initially refused to issue official documentation, prompting the mother to file the current lawsuit In its ruling, the court cited evidence from the case file, including the father's Bahraini nationality confirmed by his national ID card and passport, and the final and binding Sharia Court ruling establishing paternity.

Based on this, the court ordered the immediate issuance of a passport and national identity card bearing both parents' names. The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by some women in securing legal recognition for their children in Bahrain and underscores the importance of persistent legal action in such situations.Court Orders Issuance of ID and Passport to Woman After Years-Long Paternity Dispute
By H Naser
The High Civil Court has ordered the issuance of a passport and national identity card to a 20-year-old woman after a protracted legal battle to establish her paternity. The case, which spanned several years, involved a mother's persistent efforts to secure official documentation for her daughter, born from a dissolved marriage over 15 years ago.

The father initially denied paternity, prompting the mother to file a lawsuit. After numerous attempts, the father finally agreed to a DNA test which confirmed his biological relationship to the daughter. Following the positive test results, the High Civil Court ruled in favour of the mother's request, according to her lawyer, Zahra Nema.

Nema detailed the case, explaining that her client, a Bahraini citizen, gave birth to the daughter more than 20 years ago. "Three years ago, the mother initially filed a legal case to establish the daughter's parentage, but the initial ruling was dismissed," Nema said, adding that: "The mother appealed the decision, leading to a successful appeal in the Sharia Court. This appeal not only established paternity but also urgently granted the daughter the right to live with her mother."

However, relevant authorities initially refused to issue official documentation, prompting the mother to file the current lawsuit In its ruling, the court cited evidence from the case file, including the father's Bahraini nationality confirmed by his national ID card and passport, and the final and binding Sharia Court ruling establishing paternity.

Based on this, the court ordered the immediate issuance of a passport and national identity card bearing both parents' names. The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by some women in securing legal recognition for their children in Bahrain and underscores the importance of persistent legal action in such situations.