Bahrain
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- constitutional monarchy
- CONSTITUTION
- February 14, 2002; amended in 2012, 2017
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- mixed legal system of Islamic law (sharia), English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law; has not submitted a declaration of jurisdiction to the ICJ
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral legislature composed of the Consultative Council and the Council of Representatives (House of Deputies)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Court of Cassation (composed of the president and 3 judges); Supreme Court of Appeal (composed of the president and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (composed of the president and 6 members); High Sharia Appeal Court (court sessions include the president and at least one judge); High civil appeal courts; intermediate and lower civil courts; High Sharia Appeal Court; High Sharia Court; Administrative Appeal Courts; military courts
RELIGIONS
Muslim 73.7%, Christian 9.3%, Jewish 0.1%, other 16.9% (estimate 2017)
From the country
MARCH 7, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: HIGH COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY IN COP MURDER CASE
The High Court of Appeal upheld the death sentence in the bomb attack case in which policeman Mahmoud Farid was killed, a statement issued by Terror Crime Prosecution said.
FEBRUARY 26, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE FOR BOMBING LINKED TO IRAN
Bahrain's highest appeals court upheld a death sentence and lengthy jail terms in a mass trial over a fatal 2016 bombing that authorities have linked to Iran.
FEBRUARY 1, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: TWO DEATH PENALTIES
The Fourth High Criminal Court in Bahrain, headed by Judge Ali Khalifa Al Dhahrani, unanimously sentenced Mousa Abdullah Mousa Jaafar to death on charges of killing a policeman in the Karana bombing.
JANUARY 31, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: TWO SENTENCED TO DEATH IN JAW PRISON ESCAPE AND POLICE OFFICER MURDER CASE
A Bahraini court issued harsh sentences against 58 defendants in the case involving the Jaw Prison escape, harboring of fugitives and killing of police officer Al-Hammadi.
JANUARY 29, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: ACTIVIST'S DEATH SENTENCE UPHELD DESPITE TORTURE ALLEGATIONS
Manama’s Cassation Court ruled in favor of upholding Maher al-Khabaz’s death sentence.
JANUARY 10, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: MILITARY COURT UPHOLDS 1ST DEATH PENALTY
Bahrain’s highest military appellate court on upheld a death penalty for the first time since it was established seven years ago.
- JANUARY 1, 2018BahrainDEATH PENALTY
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must
- DECEMBER 25, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: SIX SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, TERROR ATTACKS
Bahrain’s High Military Court sentenced six defendants, including a soldier, to death on charges of forming a terrorist group, attempting to assassinate the Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) and carrying out terror attacks.
NOVEMBER 23, 2017United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYANTI-TERROR STATES ADD 2 ENTITIES, 11 INDIVIDUALS TO TERRORIST BLACKLIST
The Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ); Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, added two entities and 11 individuals to its blacklist.
NOVEMBER 22, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY AGAINST HUSSEIN MARZOUQ, ACCUSED BY AUTHORITIES OF BEING BEHIND FAKHRIYA MUSLIM’S DEATH
The Bahraini Court of Appeal upheld the death sentence issued against detainee Hussein Marzouq, who was accused by the authorities of being behind a bombing that resulted in the death of Fakhriya Muslim.
- JUNE 19, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTY
BAHRAIN: ONE SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER DEADLY 2016 BOMBING
A Bahrain court sentenced to death one person and another to life in prison over a 2016 bombing that killed a woman in a Shiite-majority village.
JUNE 6, 2017BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN COURT GIVES DEATH, JAIL SENTENCES TO DOZEN DISSIDENTS
Bahrain's Fourth High Criminal Court, presided by Ali Khalifah al-Dhahrani, delivered the death verdicts to Sayed Ahmed Fouad al-Abar and Hussein Ali Mahdi, sentenced two other defendants to life imprisonment and passed prison sentences ranging from 3 to