In a decisive move to modernise its approach to justice, Bahrain’s parliament has greenlit a set of amendments that deepen the country’s commitment to alternative sentencing—marking yet another chapter in its ongoing legal evolution.
The standout additions? Offenders can now be ordered into psychiatric or medical institutions for treatment, or required to check in with security authorities at specified times. These new penalties join an already forward-looking framework under the 2017 Alternative Punishments and Sentencing Law, nudging the total number of non-custodial options to nine.
There’s also a digital-age twist—courts may now restrict access to specific online platforms tied to the crime committed, adding a cyber dimension to the previously physical restrictions on places convicts could enter.
One major structural shift sees authority over certain sentencing logistics shifted from the Justice Ministry to the Interior Ministry. That includes selecting institutions, tailoring training and rehab programs, and defining the nature of alternative work assignments.
MPs backing the changes hailed the move as a transformative moment in the country’s justice system. The head of Parliament’s financial and economic affairs committee called Bahrain a regional frontrunner in balancing accountability with rehabilitation.
“This isn’t just about reducing prison numbers,” one MP noted. “It’s about ensuring those who’ve fallen short of the law are given the tools to get back up—and stay up.”
Supporters argue the changes will curb repeat offenses, relieve pressure on prisons, and replace long-term incarceration with more humane, effective interventions—particularly for those battling addiction or mental health challenges.
MPs also stressed the importance of consolidating oversight under a single entity to eliminate bureaucratic drag and speed up enforcement. “A fragmented system delays justice. A unified one delivers it,” said one lawmaker.
The amendments now head to the Shura Council for further review, with momentum building behind a justice model that puts rehabilitation, not retribution, at its core.
