GCC Law Platform to Include Bahrain First

Digital platform supports regional integration in legislation, trade and investment

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain has been placed among the first GCC states to be linked to a single online law platform, in a step Dalal Al Zayed said showed trust in the kingdom’s legal system and public bodies.

 The head of Shura Council’s Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee said the Gulf Legislation Platform would give lawmakers, lawyers and researchers one digital gateway to national and GCC laws.

 Ms Al Zayed said Bahrain’s place in the first phase of the electronic link carried weight beyond the technical work.

 ‘The presence of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the first phase of the electronic linking project for the Gulf Legislation Platform carries an important meaning that goes beyond the technical aspect,’ she said. ‘It shows trust in the readiness of Bahrain’s legislative and institutional system.’

 She said lawmaking could no longer be seen only through a national lens, given its links with trade, investment, the economy, human rights, services and the movement of people across the Gulf.

‘Legislation today is no longer within the national scope only, but has become part of a Gulf system linked to the economy, investment, trade and the movement of people and services,’ she said.

Ms Al Zayed said the platform would allow both the legislative and executive branches to use legal data when amending or drafting laws.

It would also save time by placing Gulf and national laws in one online source, with search tools that reduce the need to consult several separate references.

‘The legislator, lawyer or researcher can now reach unified Gulf legislation and national legislation through one electronic window, saving time and effort while also raising the accuracy of the work,’ she said.

Ms Al Zayed said the platform would help lawmakers compare legal texts across GCC states and draw from tested approaches when dealing with shared legal questions.She said Bahrain’s role in the project would also allow the kingdom to share legal experience with other GCC states and benefit from their work in return.