Bahraini father secures passport for daughter after lengthy legal battle

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A Bahraini husband has emerged triumphant through a court ruling from the Civil Court, granting him the right to obtain official documentation and a passport for his six-year-old daughter.

The ruling comes in the aftermath of a year-long separation from his wife. Representing the husband, lawyer Zahraa Nama revealed that her client sought legal recourse through the civil judiciary after fathering a child six years ago during a period of marital separation that endured for a year.

The pivotal factor in this case was a favourable court ruling from the Supreme Sharia Court, which confirmed the existence of their marital relationship, verified the husband’s paternity, and issued an authoritative document certifying these facts. The Civil Court, in its verdict, underscored the veracity of the submitted documents.

These compelling records establish beyond doubt that the plaintiff’s daughter was born in a hospital to a Bahraini father, as evidenced by the inclusion of his Bahraini passport, which was attached to the lawsuit.

Furthermore, the court emphasised the conclusive nature of the secondary ruling from the Supreme Sharia Court, which definitively settled the issue of paternity. As a result, the child has been recognised as a Bahraini citizen since birth, entitling her to the full rights associated with Bahraini nationality, including the acquisition of a Bahraini passport and identification card, as mandated by the court.

Consequently, the court has issued a compelling order, binding the first defendant, the Information and eGovernment Authority, to expedite the issuance of an identification card for the plaintiff’s daughter while ensuring its proper registration in their official records.

The second defendant, the General Directorate of Nationality, Passports, and Residence Affairs, has likewise been directed to promptly issue a Bahraini passport for the plaintiff’s daughter and ensure its official registration.