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Parliament is set to discuss a draft law that doubles the financial threshold for proving civil claims through witness testimony from BD500 to BD1,000.
The amendment to the 1996 Evidence in Civil and Commercial Matters Law, originally proposed by the Shura Council, is designed to reflect the growing value of everyday transactions and ease access to justice for individuals pursuing smaller claims.
Legislative and legal affairs committee chairman MP Mahmood Fardan said the reform was long overdue, given economic changes since the law was first issued nearly three decades ago.
“The current threshold no longer reflects the reality of civil transactions today,” Mr Fardan said. “Raising it to BD1,000 will simplify litigation procedures and help individuals prove their rights more fairly and efficiently.”
Under the proposed amendment, individuals will be allowed to rely on witness testimony and other means of proof for non-commercial transactions valued at up to BD1,000. Claims exceeding that amount will continue to require written evidence, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
The committee noted that the existing BD500 limit has become impractical due to inflation, rising service costs and the overall increase in the value of civil dealings.
“This change directly benefits ordinary citizens,” Mr Fardan said. “It reduces procedural barriers, especially for those who may not always formalise smaller transactions in writing.”
The Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Ministry backed the amendment, noting that it is consistent with comparative legislation and reflects the declining reliance on cash transactions.
The Supreme Judicial Council and Bahraini Bar Association raised no objections, with the former confirming that the amendment falls within the legislator’s discretionary authority.
While the threshold is being raised, the draft law preserves important safeguards. Witness testimony will still be inadmissible in cases that contradict written evidence, involve partial claims of rights that must be proven in writing, or where a claimant initially demands more than BD1,000 and later reduces the amount to fall within the limit.
“The committee was careful to strike a balance,” Mr Fardan said. “We are facilitating access to justice without opening the door to abuse or undermining the reliability of written contracts.”
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