Manama: The Public Prosecution, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development and the Judicial and Legal Studies Institute, organised a roundtable entitled "Challenges in Enforcing Visitation and Custody Rulings: Between Reality and the Law," to address the legal, social, and practical challenges related to enforcing visitation and custody rulings.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the event was attended by key figures including Dr. Ali bin Fadhel Al Buainain, Attorney General; Nawaf bin Mohammed Al Maawda, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments; Osama bin Saleh Al Alawi, Minister of Social Development; along with representatives from relevant ministries and entities.
Dr. Ali bin Fadhel Al Buainain emphasized the event's alignment with Bahrain's commitment to supporting families and protecting children's rights under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and with the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He underscored the need for closer coordination among judicial, executive, and social authorities to effectively enforce visitation and custody rulings, focusing on the development of mechanisms to address practical challenges while safeguarding children's psychological and social wellbeing.
Osama bin Saleh Al Alawi, Minister of Social Development, pointed out the significance of integrated national efforts in strengthening family and child protection. He noted that enforcing visitation and custody rulings is both a legal and humanitarian responsibility that requires cooperation among all relevant parties.
The roundtable examined the legal framework governing visitation and custody matters, the practical challenges in enforcement, and the role of social services in protecting children's rights and supporting decisions that serve their best interests.
The event concluded with several recommendations, including reviewing legislation governing custody and visitation offences, addressing parental alienation, adopting a unified procedural guide defining the responsibilities of relevant authorities, improving child handover procedures at social centres, enhancing the training of social and psychological specialists, and increasing public awareness of children's rights. Participating entities agreed to implement the recommendations within a specified timeframe.