Three-Year Travel Ban Rule

TDT | Manama

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A travel ban in civil and commercial debt cases would be allowed to run for up to three years under a draft law recommended by the Shura Council’s Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee.

The change, which amends Article 40 of the Implementation Law in Civil and Commercial Matters issued by Decree-Law No. 22 of 2021, is due to be debated by the council on Sunday.

The committee has urged approval in principle, saying the draft law would give creditors a longer window to recover money owed under court rulings and make it harder for debtors to leave Bahrain before implementation measures are carried out.

The travel ban period in civil implementation cases would rise from nine months to three years. The Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf Ministry agreed with the Council of Representatives on the longer term, saying it would give the implementation court and private implementation officers enough time to look for assets that can cover the debt.

Under the merged text, an implementation judge would be able to renew a travel ban against a non-Bahraini debtor without being bound by a fixed number of renewals, as long as the reasons for the order still stand.

The draft would also curb the administration’s power to end a non-Bahraini debtor’s residency or order them to leave the country when a court travel ban has already been issued.

One of the two original bills had called for a three-judge panel, named by the minister in charge of justice affairs, to decide in each case which order should take priority: deportation or a travel ban. Its rulings could be challenged before the High Civil Court within seven days.