Round table on Restorative Justice

Manama : Within the framework of discussing the new draft law for juveniles titled (Restorative justice for children and protecting them from abuse), the Judicial and Legal Studies Institute yesterday organized a discussion session titled (Restorative Justice: Examples and the impact of restorative justice programmes).

A number of officials of Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, National Institution for Human Rights, Ombudsman Office, and Office of Prisoners and Detainers Rights, participated in the session attended by Justice Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa.

The minister said the session discussed the key aspects of the draft law, the Juvenile Welfare Center's inmates and the civil society institutions concerned with children's rights to closely learn about the children's needs in order to provide a proper child care environment to correct their behaviors prior to reengaging them in the society in line with the United Nations' directives on providing child justice.

Under the draft law the children should not be more than 18 years of age at the time the crime was committed, or when they were at risk or exposed to abuse. A juvenile court shall be established in Bahrain its jurisdiction over crimes committed by children of more than 15 years of age at the time the crime was committed.

The draft law stipulates the formation of a committee titled (Judiciary Committee for Children) its jurisdiction over cases of children subjected to danger of abuse.

The Child Protection Center will be in charge of the assessment, sheltering and following up children exposed to abuse, as well as to coordinate with the competent authorities to provide services for tehm and their families.

The Child Protection Center will also be responsible for the rehabilitation of children subjected to abuse and providing a hotline to receive complaints of abuse cases.

The Child Protection Center, in coordination with the competent court or the Judicial Committee for Children, shall follow up children under training and rehabilitation programme, who are detained in institutions and social care centers and participating in voluntary activities.