Plan to scrap fees for mediator listing

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A revised mediation law, drafted by the government to waive registration fees and loosen entry rules, is now being examined by Parliament.

The move follows a referral by Deputy Prime Minister, His Excellency Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.

The changes target Article 3 of Decree-Law No. 22 of 2019, which set the framework for mediation in civil and commercial disputes.

The proposed revision would strike out the paragraph requiring approved mediators to pay fees for listing or renewal in the official register held by the Ministry responsible for justice.

The aim, set out in the explanatory note, is to draw in more experienced hands — retired judges, lawyers, professionals — by lowering the cost of entry, and with it, give mediation a firmer place in settling rows outside court.

The requirements to be listed remain: applicants must be legally competent, known for integrity, free of convictions for dishonour or breach of trust, and must not have been struck off or dismissed for disciplinary reasons. If any of these conditions fall away, so does the right to stay on the register. Legal entities may also apply, with criteria to be laid out in the executive rules, along with how the listing works, how long it lasts, and when it may be withdrawn.

The Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, which translated the MPs’ proposal into a formal bill, said it kept the substance untouched. It did, however, tweak the language.

One such tweak was changing “dishonour and breach of trust” to “dishonour or breach of trust”, to match the current legal wording.