Court orders father to pay legal fees for refusing to apply for child’s passport

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A father who refused to apply for his child’s passport was ordered by the court to bear the legal costs of a case filed by a Bahraini mother seeking the right to apply.

The court determined that his refusal, following their divorce, lacked a legal basis, ruling in favour of the mother, who holds full custody of their daughter under a final Sharia ruling.

In its decision, the court ordered the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) to issue the passport and hand it over to the mother. The father was also instructed to pay the case fees.

Refusal

The mother brought the matter to court after her ex-husband’s refusal to act left her daughter without a passport.

She explained that she was divorced on the grounds of harm and awarded custody of her two daughters.

Despite her efforts to settle the matter informally, the father would not cooperate — and the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence declined to proceed without a court ruling.

Nationality

The court pointed out that the girl, born at Salmaniya Medical Complex, was a Bahraini citizen by birth, as her father held Bahraini nationality at the time.

No one contested the child’s parentage. The court concluded that the girl had a legal right to a Bahraini passport. It also referred to the custody ruling, which granted the mother the right to collect the child’s passport.

Claim

As the Sharia court ruling was final and no appeal had been lodged, the judge upheld the mother’s claim.

The General Directorate was instructed to issue the passport, record it in official registers, and deliver it to the mother.

The court also ordered the father to bear the legal costs associated with the case.