About 50 per cent of new judges selected as part of an initiative to train more Bahrainis for the post will be women, it has emerged.

President of the Supreme Judicial Council and the Cassation Court Salem bin Mohammed Al Kuwari revealed details of the Future Judges Programme to journalists yesterday (October 27), said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

He said the idea was to 'Bahrainise' the judiciary, which currently employs a number of foreign judges namely from Egypt.

“The judges of the future project will enhance the future of Bahrain's judicial system, as all judges will be Bahrainis,” Al Kuwari told the GDN.

“We have yet to officially announce the results, but 50 per cent of the judges will be women.

“We are very excited to help Bahraini women as judges and they will in turn help their country.

“We emphasise the dignity of citizens in Bahrain, how judges should not be biased when handing out verdicts and should only use the law.

“They (new judges) will undergo 12 months of intensive training and we will request their employers to provide them with a year's paid leave.”

The number of new Bahraini judges has not yet been confirmed.

However, in addition people in senior posts will soon have to declare their finances as part of efforts to tackle administrative and financial corruption.

“Shura Council members, MPs, ministers, Public Prosecution officials, members of the judiciary and other key officials will soon, after the elections, have to declare their finances,” said Al Kuwari.

“It will be kept in a safe file where no-one will be able to view these documents, unless a complaint or suspicion surrounds the official and they will be informed.”

Newly elected representatives of the people will be given 60 days to declare their finances.

The new rules are being introduced after a bill went through the National Assembly stating the Prime Minister's deputies, ministers, under-secretaries, assistant under-secretaries and directors in the public and military sector would be obliged to present financial statements to a special panel.

Shura Council, parliament and municipal council members, judges, public prosecutors, governors and their deputies, ambassadors, diplomats and government representatives in companies the government owns shares in would also be obliged to declare their wealth.

The Shura Council voted to exempt the Premier and the Financial Audit Bureau chief and all those working for the body from the law, as they would declare their finances directly to His Majesty King Hamad. - TradeArabia News Service