Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANAMA1001
2006-06-07 15:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:  

KING HAMAD APPOINTS FIRST WOMAN JUDGE

Tags:  PGOV KWMN PREL KJUS KMPI BA POL REFORM 
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VZCZCXRO1027
OO RUEHDE
DE RUEHMK #1001 1581505
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 071505Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4901
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001001 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2016
TAGS: PGOV KWMN PREL KJUS KMPI BA POL REFORM
SUBJECT: KING HAMAD APPOINTS FIRST WOMAN JUDGE

Classified By: A/DCM Steve Bondy for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001001

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2016
TAGS: PGOV KWMN PREL KJUS KMPI BA POL REFORM
SUBJECT: KING HAMAD APPOINTS FIRST WOMAN JUDGE

Classified By: A/DCM Steve Bondy for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (U) King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa June 6 appointed
prosecutor Mona Jasem Al Kawari to be the first woman judge
in Bahrain's history and in the history of the Arab Gulf
states. Press reports stated that she would be assigned to
the Higher Civil Court. In her public reaction to the
appointment, Al Kawari said that she was proud to be the
first female judge in Bahrain, but that she was not surprised
by the nomination of a woman. She added that the King has
been encouraging the advancement of women as part of national
reforms, including the appointment of three women to the
prosecutor's office in 2002 (including herself). Al Kawari
credited Attorney General Ali Bin Fadhel Ghanim Al Buainain
with encouraging the development of prosecutors,
encouragement from which she has benefited, to prepare them
for the work of judges.


2. (C) Ministry of Justice Assistant Undersecretary for
Courts Judge Abdulla Bin Hassan Al Buainain told PolOff June
7 that Al Kawari has been a distinguished prosecutor in the
prosecutor's office. He said that the Supreme Judicial
Council, which presents the names of nominees to the King for
appointment, had a need for someone with experience on
juvenile cases. Al Kawari has such experience and
understands the sensitivities of privacy and emotional stress
court cases can cause juveniles. He called attention to the
presently ongoing establishment of a special witness chamber
specifically designed for these types of cases. Judge
Abdulla expressed the need for increased involvement of women
in the Ministry of Justice, saying that this appointment
opens the door for more women to follow in coming years. Al
Kawari's appointment gives the other judges and Ministry
officials an opportunity to get accustomed to working with a
woman on the bench. Judge Abdulla said it was difficult to
gauge how long the Supreme Judicial Council has been
considering nominating a woman, but that events like
Bahrain's hosting of the Arab Women's Legal Network
conference and board meeting in April has raised the
visibility of the inclusion of women in prominent positions
in the legal field.


3. (C) A source close to the Ministry of Justice told PolOff
June 7 that Ministry of Justice Undersecretary Shaikh Khalid
Bin Ali Al Khalifa has been pushing for the appointment of
women judges since he was appointed undersecretary over two
and a half years ago and was very pleased with the
announcement of the highly regarded Al Kawari. The source
went on to explain that theQandful (four or five) of women
among the 29 prosecutors in the prosecutor's office face some
limitations in their work. In Bahrain, a prosecutor's
responsibilities include investigative duties and, relative
to their male counterparts, women are restricted, purportedly
due to family responsibilities, from participating in
investigations during the night, for example, or in more
sensitive sex crime-related cases.


4. (C) Comment: This appointment by the King is a
significant step in Bahrain's reforms to include women in
positions of greater authority and visibility. It is worth
noting that this announcement comes two days before the
election of former Bahraini Ambassador to Paris Shaikha Haya
Bint Rashed Al Khalifa as President of the UN General
Assembly (UNGA),the first female Arab or Muslim president of
the UNGA. Mona Al Kawari and Shaikha Haya join the ranks of
women in other high-profile positions such as Minister of
Social Development Dr. Fatima Al Balooshi, Minister of Health
Dr. Nada Haffadh, President of the University of Bahrain
Shaikha Mariam Al Khalifa, and Secretary General of the
Supreme Council for Women and Head of the Bahrain Institute
for Political Development Lulwa Al Awadhi. The King's wife
Shaikha Sabeeka has also adopted a more prominent public role
in her duties as First Lady and by serving as Chair of the
Supreme Council for Women.



Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/

MONROE