Restorative Justice Law focuses on promoting rehabilitation, reintegration of children in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Restorative Justice Law uses restorative processes and seeks to achieve outcomes that promote the child’s rehabilitation and reintegration, as outlined by the UN.

The new courts will meet the judicial needs of children in line with the national and international standards to consolidate justice among all segments of society and strengthen the mechanisms of the judiciary and respect for human rights.

The ultimate aim of restorative justice is one of healing, as it views criminal acts more comprehensively than the judicial system by recognising how offenders harm victims, communities, and even themselves by their actions.

What does the law say?

The law stipulates that child victims or witnesses, at all stages of investigation and trial, shall have the right to be heard, have their demands understood.

Authorities should also treat them in a manner that preserves their dignity and ensures their physical, psychological and moral integrity.

The law approves the special treatment of delinquent children aged between 15 and 18 while ensuring their privacy rights. Juvenile Delinquency means a crime committed by a youth who is under the age of 18 years.

Children will have the right to protection, health, social and legal assistance, rehabilitation and integration into society. In addition to the rights guaranteed during all stages of arrest, investigation, trial and verdict execution, child suspects will also have the right to obtain all information about the charges levelled against them, with the assistance of an interpreter whenever needed.

They will have the right to legal and judicial assistance, in addition to a lawyer of their choice or appointed by the court to defend them at the trial stage. Bahrain sees restorative justice courts for children as model courts operating in coordination with the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments and the Public Prosecution to enforce the law.

The law also regulates cooperation and coordination between the authorities and the concerned parties. It relies on the studies of experts to ensure that verdicts and orders related to children are based on a comprehensive and clear vision of their social, health and psychological conditions.