Registration and Code of Conduct for Lawyers

The Bahrain International Commercial Court
Regulations Governing the Registration and Conduct of Lawyers

(Issued by the Court Council on 02/02/2026)

Article 1

Definitions

In these Regulations, the following words and phrases will have the following meanings unless the context requires otherwise:

Bahraini Lawyer: a lawyer licensed to practice law in the Kingdom.

Business Day: any day that is not a weekend or a public holiday in the Kingdom.

Code of Conduct: the Code of Conduct for lawyers, set out in the First Schedule to these Regulations.

Court: the Bahrain International Commercial Court, including its President, Deputy President, Court Council, Executive Director, Chief Registrar and Case Manager.

Court Council: the Council formed pursuant to Article 5 of the Law.

Judge: a member of a Tribunal.

Kingdom: the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Law: Legislative Decree No. 9 of 2024 with respect to the Bahrain International Commercial Court.

Lawyer: a lawyer licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction.

Non-Bahraini Lawyer: a Lawyer not licensed to practice law in the Kingdom.

Registered Lawyer: a Lawyer registered pursuant to these Regulations to represent parties in proceedings before the Tribunals.

Registration Form: the template prescribed by the Court, in printed or electronic format, for the registration, and renewal of registration, of Registered Lawyers.

Tribunal: a Dispute Resolution Tribunal or an Appellate Tribunal to which one or more Judges are appointed pursuant to Article 12 of the Law.

Provisions herein which relate to a Judge or to a Tribunal apply mutatis mutandis to a Deputed Judge designated to fulfil the functions defined in Article 19 of the Law.

Article 2

Registration of Lawyers

2.1  A Lawyer may be registered to practise before a Tribunal if:

a.  they have a minimum of five years’ experience in advocacy before any court or tribunal in any jurisdiction; and

b.  their professional record is free from any unspent disbarment, suspension, penalties, censure, or reprimands in any jurisdiction.

2.2  A Registered Lawyer must abide by the Code of Conduct.

2.3  In accordance with Article 18 of the Law, a non-Bahraini Lawyer who is registered with the Court may represent a party before a Tribunal:

a.  jointly with a Bahraini Lawyer licensed to appear before the Bahraini Court of Cassation in proceedings conducted in Arabic; or

b.  in any proceedings conducted in a language other than Arabic.

Article 3

Application for Registration

3.1  Lawyers seeking to register with the Court must complete and submit a Registration Form, which will include:

a.  the Lawyer’s name, nationality, and details of any associated law practice;

b.  the language(s) in which they are sufficiently proficient to represent a client;

c.  evidence of compliance with Article 2.1, and which will include or be accompanied by any additional information or documentation indicated in the Registration Form, or requested by the Court.

3.2  The Registration Form must also be accompanied by:

a.  an officially recognised certificate confirming that the Lawyer is duly licensed to practice law and in which jurisdiction(s); and

b.  the non-refundable Application Fee specified in the Second Schedule, without the actual receipt of which in the Court’s account, the application will not be processed.

Article 4

Decision on Applications

4.1  On receipt of the Registration Form, the Court will review the information provided and if the Registration Form has been fully completed will, within fourteen (14) Business Days of receipt, determine whether to approve or refuse the application and will promptly notify the applicant of its decision. If the application is approved, the applicant will have up to thirty (30) Business Days to pay the non-refundable Registration Fee specified in the Second Schedule.

4.2  If the Registration Form is incomplete, the Court will, within fourteen (14) Business Days of receipt, notify the applicant of any additional information or documents that are required, giving the applicant up to thirty (30) Business Days to provide these. These time-limits may be extended by the Court in the case of reasonable extenuating circumstances notified by the applicant.

4.3  If the required information is not provided within the specified period, including any extensions, the application will be considered withdrawn and the Application Fee forfeited. The applicant may submit a new application if they wish to pursue registration at a later date.

4.4  Before refusing an application, the Court may, in its sole discretion, provide the applicant with a reasonable opportunity to be heard or to supplement their application.

4.5  The Court’s decision to approve or refuse an application is final.

Article 5

Registration Certificates

5.1  On the approval of an application for registration or renewal, and the actual receipt in the Court’s account of the Registration or Renewal Fee specified in the Second Schedule, the Court will issue a certificate of registration in printed or electronic format.

5.2  A certificate of registration will be invalidated when the registration expires or is terminated or cancelled in accordance with Article 7.

5.3  The Court will maintain a confidential register of all Registered Lawyers (the Register) which will include all relevant professional and personal details and contact coordinates.

5.4  Registered Lawyers must notify the Court within seven (7) Business Days of any relevant change to their personal or professional details.

5.5  Separate from the Register, the Court may make publicly available a list of Registered Lawyers with brief biographies.

Article 6

Duration of Registration

6.1  Registration will be valid for a period of three (3) years from the date of registration, renewable for further consecutive periods of three (3) years, unless terminated or cancelled earlier in accordance with Article 7.

6.2  Registration renewals may be issued by reference to documents previously submitted, or by the applicant either confirming no material changes or providing details of any such changes.

6.3  With respect to Registered Lawyers representing parties in pending cases, the President of the Court may if necessary extend the duration of the registration until the conclusion of the case.

Article 7

Termination and Cancellation of Registration

7.1  Registration will terminate:

a.  if not renewed; or

b.  on the written request of the Registered Lawyer; or

c.  on the death or certified incapacity of the Registered Lawyer.

7.2  Registration will be deemed automatically cancelled on:

a.  disbarment or suspension of the Registered Lawyer, or revocation of the requisite practicing certificate;

b.  pursuant to a sanction under Article 8;

c.  failure to comply with the Code of Conduct; or

d.  a criminal conviction leading to the disbarment or revocation contemplated by Article 7.2.(a), or which, in the opinion of the President of the Court in his or her sole discretion, renders the convicted Lawyer unfit to appear before the Tribunals.

7.3  The Court will issue a written notice of termination or cancellation, stating the grounds.

Article 8

Complaints Procedure

8.1  Any concerns that a Registered Lawyer may have violated these Regulations, or the Code of Conduct must be reported in writing to the Court by the complainant, accompanied by any evidence in support of the alleged violation. The Court may also investigate potential violations on its own initiative. In either case the investigation into and response to these complaints will be dealt with in accordance with this Article.

8.2  The Court will appoint a Complaints Committee to investigate the complaint.

8.3  The Committee will carefully, impartially and fairly investigate the alleged violation, having given the person against whom the complaint is made a copy of the complaint and having provided them a reasonable opportunity to respond.

8.4  The Committee may, in its sole discretion, but need not, call the complainant or the individual alleged to have violated these Regulations or the Code of Conduct to one or more meetings to discuss the complaint.

8.5  On completion of the investigation, the Committee will, as soon as practicable, provide to the Court a reasoned recommendation, based on which the Court may dismiss or uphold the complaint and will, if the complaint is upheld, decide on the appropriate action, which may take the form of:

a.  a written warning;

b.  a formal reprimand;

c.  temporary suspension from the Register; or

d.  removal from the Register.

8.6  In the event of suspension or removal from the Register during the pendency of proceedings before a Tribunal in which the sanctioned lawyer acts as a party representative, the Court will ensure that the procedural timetable is adjusted if and as necessary without compromising procedural fairness or the integrity of the judicial process.

8.7  If the investigation uncovers potential criminal conduct, the Court will refer the matter to the appropriate legal authorities, including relevant licensing authorities.

8.8  In determining whether to exercise any of the measures available under this Article, the Court will take into account the nature and seriousness of the alleged violation, the potential impact of the exercise of the sanction on the rights of the parties, and on the enforceability of any judgment; and such other matters as it considers appropriate in the circumstances of the case.

Article 9

Interpretation of the Regulations

9.1  Subject to Section 6 of the Code of Conduct, these Regulations do not override, and may not derogate from, any applicable laws, regulations, or professional codes of conduct to which the Registered Lawyer may otherwise be subject.

9.2  In case of ambiguity or conflict, the interpretation and application of these Regulations and the Code of Conduct rests with the Court, whose decisions will be final.

First Schedule
Code of Conduct for Registered Lawyers

Section 1 — Duty to the Tribunals

1.1  Registered Lawyers will not:

a.  engage in any ex parte communication with any Judge sitting on the Tribunal before which they are appearing;

b.  knowingly make any false statement to the Tribunal;

c.  knowingly submit any false witness evidence to the Tribunal, nor encourage or assist any witness to give false evidence;

d.  suppress or conceal any document that the party instructing them has undertaken, or has been ordered by the Tribunal, to produce; or

e.  otherwise conduct themselves in a manner likely or calculated to obstruct or jeopardize the integrity of the proceedings, or to create unnecessary delay or expense.

1.2  If the Tribunal, having given the parties and the Registered Lawyer a reasonable opportunity to express their views, determines that any Registered Lawyer has breached any of the rules set out in this Section, the Tribunal may invoke the complaints procedure set out at Article 8 of these Regulations.

Section 2 — Party Representation

2.1  Any party may be represented in the proceedings by any Registered Lawyer whose full name, postal address, e-mail address and telephone number have been notified in writing to the Court, to all other parties, and (once appointed) to the Tribunal, and there can be no addition to any party’s legal representatives following the appointment of the Tribunal without the prior written approval of the Tribunal.

2.2  The Tribunal may decline to approve an addition to any party’s legal representatives if, on proper disclosure, a relationship exists between the proposed additional legal representative and any member of the Tribunal that would create a conflict of interest jeopardizing the composition of the Tribunal or the integrity of the proceedings.

2.3  The Court and, once appointed, the Tribunal may at any time require written proof of the authority of any named legal representative.

Section 3 — Acting when a Material Witness

3.1  If a Registered Lawyer becomes aware that they must provide material evidence in a contested issue before the Tribunal in which they are representing a party, they must cease to represent that party, but without prejudice to another Registered Lawyer from their firm representing that party, subject to Section 2, Clause 2 of this Schedule.

3.2  If a Registered Lawyer becomes aware that they must provide material evidence in a contested issue before the Court before commencing representation, they may not represent any party in the proceedings, but without prejudice to another Registered Lawyer from their firm representing that party, provided this does not create a conflict of interest jeopardizing the composition of the Tribunal or the integrity of the proceedings.

Section 4 — Respect for the Court

4.1  Registered Lawyers must maintain respect and courtesy towards the Court and its staff and officers and towards the Judges and Tribunals.

4.2  Registered Lawyers must not publish and must not take any step which may lead to the publication of any material concerning any proceedings, if such publication is of confidential or privileged material or constitutes contempt of court; or is calculated to interfere with the fairness of the proceedings, or to prejudice the administration of justice.

Section 5 — Inadvertent Contravention of the Code of Conduct

A Registered Lawyer who unknowingly contravenes a provision of this Code of Conduct and subsequently becomes aware that they had done so must disclose the contravention to the Court and take all reasonable steps to rectify the contravention insofar as it can be rectified.

Section 6 — Code of Conduct and Other Rules of Ethics or Professional Conduct

If the rules of ethics or professional conduct to which a Registered Lawyer is subject in any other jurisdiction(s) in which they are licensed to practice law impose a higher standard of professional conduct in any area addressed by this Code of Conduct, they must adhere to those higher standards to the extent applicable. In all other circumstances the provisions of this Code of Conduct apply regardless of any conflicting rules of ethics or professional conduct to which a Registered Lawyer may otherwise be subject.

Second Schedule
Fees