Shura council reviews bill of reply to royal speech of Bahraini king

The Shura Council is itinerated review on Monday a report submitted from the Committee on Compiling the Reply to Speech of His Majesty the King at the inaugural session of the National Assembly's fourth session of the third legislative term. The bill of reply includes the Council's views and aspirations vis-à-vis various issues included in the Speech of His Majesty the King. The Council Members are expected to table their remarks and views regarding the bill of reply. The session will also discuss a report submitted from the Legislation and Legal Affairs Committee regarding the Law-by-Decree amending some of the provisions of the Judicial Authority's Law. The committee recommended approval of the Decree-by-Law as it comes in implementation of the "First" National Consensus Dialogue views regarding the independence of the judiciary. The Council will also discuss a report submitted from the Committee on Legislation and Legal Affairs regarding Decree-by-Law for amending some provisions of the law regarding re-organizing the Legislation and Fatwa (i.e. Legal Opinion) Body, which includes a provision for Legislation and Fatwa Body complete independence from the Executive Authority in view of its judicial nature. The Council will also review a report submitted from the Committee on Legislation and Fatwa regarding the proposed law for amending some of the provisions of the Law of Civil and Commercial Pleadings submitted from Council Member Rabab Abdulnabi Al-Arrayedh. The committee recommended permissibility of considering the proposed law which – according to the opinion of the committee – seeks to lay down a legal procedural system to respond to magistrates in order to keep them away from any doubt or accusation of bias. The proposed law will be referred in case of its approval by the Council to the Government to draft it in the form of a bill of law.