Some provisions in Civil Service Law amended

Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has issued Edict 61/2015 amending some provisions of the Executive Code of the Civil Service Law issued under Edict 51/2012.

First: Clause 38, paragraph 12 of the Executive Code of the Civil Service Law issued under Edict 51/2012 has been replaced as follows:

If the disciplinary board deems violations ascribed to an employee to constitute a criminal act, the disciplinary board shall inform top in-charge of the employee’s workplace to refer the case to the competent body. The disciplinary board may question an employee whenever the charge amounted to a breach of the duties of his position or an infringement against the dignity of the position or the workplace. The board may halt the disciplinary actions until an order or verdict has been issued regarding such crime. Afterwards the papers would be returned to the disciplinary board to decide what it deems appropriate regarding disciplinary questioning of the employee. The issuance of an order to shelf the criminal investigation or issuance of an acquittal verdict does not prevent disciplinary accountability if its causes are available.

Second: The following has been added to Clause 36 of the Executive Code of the Civil Service Law issued under Edict 51/2012, a new clause numbered as (Third Ditto):

An employee may be suspended for working for six months whenever referred for criminal investigation or during his criminal trial with full salary payment throughout the period of suspension. A suspension may be extended for other periods with half salary payment whenever the suspension from the work was due to reasons or exigency in the interest of the work. In all circumstances, suspension from work and extension thereof should be reliant upon a resolution from the Prime Minister for occupants of top positions and their equivalents; and, from the competent authority after the Civil Service Bureau’s approval for the rest of employees. All of this should be in compliance with the regulations stated in the Third Clause of this article.

Third: The following has been added as a second paragraph to Clause 6 of Article 37 of the Executive Code of the Civil Service Bureau issued under Edict 51/2012:

Witnesses should observe credibility and honesty. Refrainment from testifying, the giving of false testimony, or backing down from testimony are considered questionable violations. If the witness is other than an employee, the competent body should be informed to take its actions against him. The Civil Service Bureau (CSB)’s President shall implement this Edict, which becomes effective as from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.