Bill to widen witnesses protection on MPs table

Manama : Lawmakers will soon review a bill that calls for widening the scope of country’s witness protection programme to include police informers, experts and those who provide additional information to a case.

The bill also stipulates providing personal guards to protect individuals or their residence, as well as recording telephone calls and monitoring some of their correspondence and communications.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee in the Council of Representatives has approved the bill, which calls for amending Decree Law 46 of 2002 promulgating the code of Criminal Procedures.

According to the committee, the bill is aimed at “widening the range of the concerned authority’s jurisdiction to ensure the safety and protection of individuals that are connected a case, by granting the judge, the concerned court or the Public Prosecution the authority to take preventive measures”.

“The amendment would increase the existing list of persons that are eligible for protection to include police informers, experts supporting the victims’ side, witnesses and any individual who provide information to the suit,” the committee said in an illustrative letter.

The bill wasn’t objected by the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee in the council, Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry, which in charge of the courts, and the National Institution for Human Rights.

However, in order to be effective, the bill needs to be approved by both branches of the Legislative Authority (The Council of Representatives and Shura Council) in the Kingdom. 

Parliamentarians will review the proposed amendment and will vote on it in their upcoming regular weekly session on Tuesday.