A draft law amending key provisions of Bahrain’s 1976 Penal Code that addresses concerns raised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) regarding provisions that could be interpreted as permitting forced labour as part of penal sentences has been urgently referred to Parliament.
The amendments have been sent by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
MPs are scheduled to vote on Tuesday to refer the proposed amendments to the foreign affairs, defence and national security committee for study.
The draft law was submitted by the government and prepared by the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission.
According to documents sent to the legislative authority, the initiative follows a Cabinet Resolution adopted on November 17, 2025. The Cabinet approved the bill based on a memorandum from the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs, instructing relevant authorities to take the necessary constitutional and legal steps to present it to Parliament.
The draft law consists of three main articles:
Article One replaces the text of Article 55 of the Penal Code to require that all individuals sentenced to custodial penalties participate in rehabilitation and training programmes within the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre, in line with their circumstances and with the aim of supporting their reintegration into society.
Article Two replaces the term ‘in a prison’ with ‘in a reform and rehabilitation centre’ in Article 210 of the Penal Code, and replaces all references to ‘prisons’ across the law with ‘reform and rehabilitation centres’.
In its explanatory memorandum, the Commission said the amendments aim to harmonise Bahrain’s legislation with the ILO’s Forced Labour Convention (No. 105) of 1957, which Bahrain ratified in 1998.
The ILO’s Committee of Experts had raised concerns that certain national laws could potentially allow the imposition of forced labour alongside imprisonment.
The proposed amendments reinforce Bahrain’s commitment to international labour standards by clarifying that rehabilitation programmes are part of custodial sentencing only within the framework of the Reform and Rehabilitation Institution Law.
HRH Prince Salman has also urgently referred to Parliament a draft law amending several provisions of the 2014 Reform and Rehabilitation Institution Law.
It contains two main articles:
1. Replacement of Article 18: A new text for Article 18 of Law No. (18) of 2014 makes rehabilitation and training mandatory for all inmates – except those in pre-trial detention or those whose health conditions prevent participation.
Training is to be provided in fields aligned with the inmate’s existing skills wherever possible.
Executive regulations will define the types of rehabilitation and training programmes, their maximum daily hours, the rewards or stipends granted to inmates, and the conditions and eligibility for participation in training outside the centre in co-ordination with relevant authorities.
The article also stipulates that provisions of civil liability apply to any inmate who suffers a work-related injury or occupational disease during or as a result of participation in rehabilitation and training.
2. The bill replaces all references to ‘employment’ and ‘work’ with terminology related to rehabilitation and training.
Officials say the amendments are part of a broader strategy to modernise the Reform and Rehabilitation Institution Law, originally enacted in 2014 and updated in 2024, with the aim of ensuring rehabilitation-focused correctional policies.
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