Vice President of Supreme Judicial Council-President of the Court of Cassation discusses cooperation with Singapore for the development of an international commercial court, Bahrain as an attractive seat of arbitration

Manama, Nov. 1 (BNA): Vice President of the Supreme Judicial Council- President of the Court of Cassation Sheikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, discussed with the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), areas of cooperation in the commercial dispute resolution field. His Excellency and the accompanying delegation met with His Excellency Mr. Sundaresh Menon, The Chief Justice of Singapore, at the headquarters of the Supreme Court, where they were briefed on the work of the Singapore International Commercial Court. HE Excellency and CJ Menon discussed initiatives for collaboration between the Bahraini and Singaporean courts. The Bahraini delegation also met with His Excellency Mr. K. Shanmugam, Minister of Law of the Republic of Singapore, and discussed frameworks for developing cooperation in the fields of arbitration and mediation with the Department of Legal Industry at the Ministry of Law. During the visit, the delegation was briefed on Singapore's experience in establishing a hub that includes many of dispute resolution institutions from around the world (Maxwell Chambers). The delegation discussed strengthening ties with the Singapore Center for International Arbitration (SIAC). They also met the management team of the Singapore Center for Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) and the Singapore Center for International Mediation (SCIM) and learnt about their unique rules. His Excellency, the Vice President of the Supreme Judicial Council -President of the Court of Cassation expressed his deep appreciation for the fruitful dialogue and the importance of collaboration in the judiciary and arbitration with the Republic of Singapore. His Excellency stated that this visit to Singapore aims to build on the latest development in judicial system of Kingdom of Bahrain, in particular the newly established specialist commercial court which adjudicates cases in English in both first instance and appeal. This latest addition to the suite of dispute resolution mechanisms is part of Bahrain’s unique ecosystem for the effective settlement of commercial disputes both national and international. Bahrain statutory framework reflects the international best practice in arbitration and mediation. The courts have created specialist streams to support these dispute resolution mechanisms. These reforms pave the way for the development of an international arbitration industry in the Kingdom of Bahrain for a vibrant and attractive seat for regional and international dispute resolutions. The delegation included Prof. Jan Paulsson, judge of the Court of Cassation, Dr. Aseel Zimmo, Advisor to the President of the Court of Cassation for Judicial Strategy and Development - Advisor to the Minister of Justice, and Mr. Walid Al-Bassam, Director of Studies at the Prime Minister's Office.