The new Family Law, which will be used by judges of the Sharia (Islamic) Courts when issuing verdicts on divorce cases, child custody disputes and inheritance claims has come into effect at Bahrain's Sunni courts.

The law, which came into effect on July 1 after it was ratified by His Majesty King Hamad and published in the official Gazette last month, will cover ongoing and new cases at the Sunni Sharia Courts.

It will not cover old cases where a final verdict has already been issued. However, it could be applied to old cases if the allocated time period for an appeal has not yet ended, they added.

"Since this law is not procedural, it won't be used throughout the duration of the trial, but only when issuing verdicts," said sources at the Justice and Islamic Affairs Ministry.

The Family Law was approved by the Shura Council and parliament last May, following years of campaigning by women's rights activists. A similar version of the law for Shi'ite women has been shelved based on opposition from religious leaders. – TradeArabia News Service