Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa said that the initiative of civil settlement, per which compensation will be paid directly to the affected people in a consensual manner, will not interfere with the right of those who choose to resort to civil courts.
In an interview published by the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), Shaikh Khalid pointed out that an office would be opened at the ministry to receive those who wish to have a consensual settlement. He said the initiative includes all affected people according to Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report.
Shaikh Khalid added that the scheme, which was adopted according to a proposal by the National Commission in charge of following up on implementation of BICI recommendations, is to expedite compensation for those who are in favour.
The Minister of Justice stressed Bahrain’s strong resolve to overcome the pitfalls of the regrettable incidents which engulfed it.
He emphasised that the Civil Settlement Initiative is in line with the royal directives to speed up procedures of tackling the repercussions of the recent unfortunate incidents.
He added that the initiative also reflects the government’s keen interest to accelerate implementation of BICI recommendations and ensure affected people receive appropriate compensation without any delay.
“The initiative doesn’t prove criminal liability or denies it, leaving the issue to the judiciary to say its word in this regard,” Shaikh Khalid, said.
Asked if the initiative falls within the jurisdiction of the National Fund for the Reparation of Victims, he emphasized that there is no link between them.
He also said that, with reference to BICI report, the compensation will also include families of the deceased as well as those who suffered physical injuries or any other cases the ministry accepts after discussing them with relevant authorities.
As for the families of the martyrs of duty, the minister said the compensation will include all those found affected by BICI report, including certainly the security men who died because of the incidents or while on duty.
Concerning the budget earmarked for the compensations, Shaikh Khalid said efforts are being coordinated with concerned parties to allocate the needed budget.
The Minister pointed out that there will be a notice on the Ministry’s website detailing the needed documents and procedure which will be disclosed soon via mass media and social networking websites.