Bahrain’s Shura Council has taken its first major step towards a ‘Smart Parliament’, unveiling a new digital legislative system designed to put decades of parliamentary information at the fingertips of legislators, researchers, institutions and the public.
The Legislative System, described by the Shura Council as the first smart project to automate legislative work in the Arab world, was showcased yesterday in a special session held to coincide with International Day of Democracy at the National Assembly Complex in Gudaibiya.
The system, accessible through its revamped website, brings together legislative data covering parliamentary work since 2002, allowing users to trace the journey of legislation, search laws and proposals, and access information through a more streamlined digital interface.
Officials say the project is only the beginning.
Shura Council Secretary-General Kareema Al Abbasi said the system had been developed to serve not only the Shura Council but a much wider circle of institutions, including universities and organisations involved in legislative, legal, judicial and academic work.
“Today, all the data and information they need – legal tools, legislation, details of laws – can be obtained at the press of a button,” she said.
The platform also allows users to follow the legislative ‘timeline’ of a matter, showing where it has reached in its journey, while opening up data that can be used by researchers for studies and analysis.
Ms Al Abbasi said the project took around two years to develop and involved the painstaking task of gathering and organising legislation debated and approved throughout Bahrain’s legislative chapters since 2002.
“We are working to add all the other systems and data and put them into one easy-to-use system for other entities,” she said.
The Shura Council’s longer-term ambition is to move from simply digitising legislative information to actively using artificial intelligence inside the parliamentary chamber.
Ms Al Abbasi said the current system was deliberately designed to make searching and extracting information easy, paving the way for the next phase: an official virtual assistant for the Shura Council.
“The next step, God willing, will be to use the official virtual assistant, Senad, in greater detail, so that it can serve more institutions and citizens,” she said.
She explained that the future system would offer expanded capabilities for government sectors and the public, helping users find the legislative information they need while also moving towards measuring and understanding the wider impact of legislation.
The most ambitious stage, however, will bring the technology directly into parliamentary sessions.
Ms Al Abbasi said the Shura Council was looking at ways for artificial intelligence and the virtual assistant to work within the chamber itself, providing members with relevant legislative information and details while debates are taking place.
“We are working on a scenario for the chamber itself, and this, God willing, will be part of the Smart Parliament in the coming years,” she said.
She described the current initiative as an initial stage in Bahrain’s wider digital empowerment. “The Smart Parliament is no longer simply a futuristic concept – its foundations are already being built,” Ms Al Abbasi added.
The showcase was attended by officials, judges, representatives of 20 legislative, judicial, legal, academic and training institutions, as well as media representatives.
Among those taking part were the Ministries of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Parliament and Shura Council Affairs, the Public Prosecution, the Legislation and Legal Opinion Commission, the Constitutional Court, the Royal Police Academy, the Higher Education Council and several universities and specialised institutes.
Two presentations by Shura legal adviser Ali Al Salloom and Shura digital systems and solutions director Abeer Al Obdaili were held during the event, focusing on practical use of the system and its digital and smart features, including specialised browsing and legislative searches.
The initiative was developed under the direction of Shura Council Chairman Ali Saleh Al Saleh, with Bahraini expertise bringing together legislative, legal, technological, digital and technical skills.
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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