ALL existing legislation will be reviewed in a bid to update them in line with modern developments and needs.
Priority will be given to legislation that relates to supporting the labour market, achieving gender equality, upgrading education and health services, and fulfilling government services amidst austerity measures.
It comes as legislators, senior government officials and members of the community took part in a two-day legislative conference that started yesterday at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay.
Foundation
The ‘Together to Achieve Legislative Aspirations’ Conference is being held under the patronage of Shura Council chairman Ali Saleh Al Saleh and focuses on partnership with various social segments to lay the foundations for new and amended legislation.
Mr Al Saleh called on all parties to contribute to re-defining and modernising existing legislation to take into account future ambitions – adding that the Shura Council has looked into 1,644 legislation since 2002.
“Integrating normal practices within the law allows progress and all existing legislation are subject to review, even new ones should they be found inapplicable or backdated,” he said.
“Yes, we need new laws but the priority should be adjusting the legislation we have already and conditioning it to meet our needs, requirements and developments.
“All issues of interest, whether the national budget, public debt, gender equality, fulfilling needs at a time of austerity measures, supporting the labour market, government services, education and health are all being prioritised.
Welfare
“Work doesn’t stop here as we look into the country’s welfare and interests, security and stability, prosperity and growth, from a visionary perspective.”
Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain said the government was also reviewing all existing legislation in addition to executive bylaws and ministerial decisions.
“The legislative process is complicated and whenever we address a legislation we take into account the country’s own distinctive aspects, then we match them with other laws in the region and the world, we want laws to be active and not just ink on paper,” he said.
“Things have to be realistic and whenever there are amendments by legislators to a law, whether proposed by them or us, we have to make necessary effective changes in the bylaws.
“A number of ministerial decisions that were applicable at their time are inapplicable now and they need to be scrapped, we have been doing that and there are more on the way.
“Some decisions need a legislative push so new laws have to be drawn up from scratch while levelling them with related laws and this takes time.”
Shura’s legislative and legal affairs committee chairwoman Dalal Al Zayed, who is also the conference’s organising committee president, said there were many proposed amendments to outdated legislation, but they needed input from all parties concerned.
“All laws are on the table and we want recommendations that will help us first build a foundation for a new phase and then take the existing into the second or third level as we progress,” she added.
Around 300 participants are attending the two-day event, which features seven specialised workshops.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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