Since the ascension, in 1999, of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Kingdom of Bahrain has witnessed a development and civilizational boom that includes all political, economic, social and legislative fields.
The reform project launched by His Majesty the King, made the Kingdom of Bahrain a global model for development, growth, and stability emanating from within and stemming from the keenness of his leadership, which received the popular will at several historical milestones, including the historical moment that the Kingdom of Bahrain witnessed when voting on the National Action Charter in In 2001, a percentage of 98.4% resulted in the first constitutional amendment in 2002 to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain issued in 1973.
The civilizational shift that the Kingdom of Bahrain has witnessed (under His Majesty the King’s leadership) was accompanied by a package of legislative tools. The legislative tools laid the foundation for those reforms in legal texts, whether in the National Action Charter or in the first constitutional amendment in 2002. And the successive legislation that followed to keep pace with the modern state, which was built on basic foundations such as justice, the rule of law, the state of law, and institutions. The law is always a mirror of the development and progress of any society.
The Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, through its first launch in 1970, represented by the Legal Committee of the State Council (currently the Cabinet), was present and a witness to the development witnessed by the Kingdom of Bahrain, as it entrusted the decision issued by the distinguished Prime Minister (at that time) to His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa (May Allah Rest his Soul) The Commission (the Legal Committee at that time) had three main specializations, which were preparing and drafting draft laws and regulations proposed by the State Council (currently the Cabinet), expressing legal opinions and giving advice on issues that the State Council presents to it or that it refers to it. Government departments, and also express an opinion on contracts concluded by the government with companies and individuals in order to ensure their harmony and compliance with laws and decrees.
The legal tools followed that organized the wheel of work in the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission. In 1972, a law was issued establishing and organizing the Legal Affairs Department (which is the second name of the Commission after the Legal Committee). Then the amendments to the Commission’s law continued, bringing their total to four amended laws, the last of which was the amendment that Released in 2018.
It is noted that the three main competencies of the Commission remained closely linked to it, as the legislator was keen each time to increase them out of his belief in the vital and important role of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission. This was a translation of the keenness and interest that the judicial authority in general witnessed in terms of development and prosperity during the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
This concern and interest in the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission was confirmed starting with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain amended in 2002, where it was stated in Chapter Four regarding the judicial authority, specifically in Clause (C) of Article (104), stating that: (The law establishes provisions for the Public Prosecution and the tasks of legal advisory opinions. , preparing legislation, and representing the state before the judiciary and those working in these affairs. There is no doubt that this constitutional text emphasized the independence enjoyed by the Commission and its employees, in addition to the subsequent laws regulating the work of the Commission after the amended constitution in 2002, which were keen to strengthen the independence of the Commission in succession. For the full independence of the body by virtue of its judicial nature, translating what the constitutional legislator stated and down to the organization it brought.
The status that the Commission has reached today as a model for concerned bodies similar in their competencies to the Commission at the Arab level could not have reached this status without the high royal patronage, and also thanks to the presidents who succeeded in heading it and the distinguished advisors who worked in it and each of whom had the greatest role, most notably The role of His Excellency Counselor Abdullah bin Hassan Al-Buainain, who headed the work team at the Commission from 2006 until July 2017.
We at the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission focus on continuing to build the Bahraini generations that the Commission abounds with today, in implementation of the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, as his wise words and first directives were when we had the honor of meeting His Majestry, after our appointment as President of the Commission, concerned with Bahraini youth and their development, which we strive to achieve through continuous training, out of our belief in their competencies and energies and our desire to make room for qualified Bahrainis to assume more leadership positions, including supporting Bahraini women, who have proven without a doubt that they always come in the best possible way. These Bahraini competencies are at the forefront of their work, diligence and perseverance in the fields of work.
