His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the country, may God protect and preserve him, deputized His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to attend the opening ceremony of the King Hamad Justice Forum, which was held today at the Isa Cultural Center in the presence of a number of Their Highnesses, Excellencies and Excellencies senior officials.
In a speech he delivered on this occasion, His Highness, may God protect him, emphasized that every prosperous economy is based on an invisible foundation represented by trust, which in turn is based on justice, noting that justice is achieved through strong and cohesive institutions. Therefore, it is institutions – not slogans – that ensure the integrity of markets, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the establishment of the rule of law in an uncertain world.
His Highness added that the Bahrain International Commercial Court is based on three simple basic pillars, explaining that the first pillar is that justice enables prosperity, as it is said that law and regulation hinder commercial activity, but experience has shown that the opposite is true. Trade does not flourish in an environment where ambiguity prevails in contracts, investment does not last under volatile and unpredictable laws, and prosperity cannot continue where trust is absent, stressing that the rule of law is not an obstacle to economic growth, but rather its primary engine.
His Highness explained that the second pillar is that independent institutions gain trust, indicating that this court will operate as an independent body, and its judicial structure includes an elite group of judges from the Kingdom of Bahrain and from the finest international judicial systems, and that its independence is not just an organizational characteristic, but rather a declaration of a well-established approach, and this means that justice in this court will be fair, impartial, and based on solid principles. This also enhances the status and reputation of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the region in general, with every ruling issued by this court. The court.
His Highness pointed out that the third pillar is that justice must keep pace with the era in which we live. Today’s world economy is digital, rapidly changing, and deeply interconnected, as conflicts cross borders at the same speed as data transmission. Accordingly, our legal systems must be flexible, adopt technology, simplify procedures, and ensure that justice keeps pace with developments and innovation.
His Highness added that the Bahrain International Commercial Court in Bahrain was designed to combine the accuracy of the law and the speed of modern business, and will provide its services to regional and international institutions efficiently and transparently.
The following is the text of the speech that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, delivered during the opening ceremony of the King Hamad Justice Forum:
In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful
Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies,
Dear guests,
On behalf of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the country, I am pleased and honored to welcome you to the King Hamad Justice Forum, the first dialogue of its kind dedicated to promoting the principles of justice and impartiality.
This day marks a milestone in the history of the Kingdom of Bahrain, with the inauguration of the Bahrain International Commercial Court, in addition to the launch of the Global Justice Bay, as a new center that strengthens Bahrain’s position as a hub for dispute settlement and international legal cooperation.
Allow me to begin by expressing our profound thanks and appreciation to our partners and friends from the Government and judiciary of the Republic of Singapore, and in particular to His Excellency Chief Justice Menon and members of his team.
Your partnership has been central to achieving this achievement, and we express our deep gratitude for your friendship and trust in what we are building together.
I would also like to pay tribute to the unwavering dedication of our judges, legal experts and officials, whose combined efforts helped transform this vision into reality.
Dear guests,
Every prosperous economy rests on an invisible foundation – trust, and this trust in turn is based on justice.
Justice is achieved through strong and cohesive institutions.
Therefore, it is institutions – not slogans – that ensure the integrity of markets, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the establishment of the rule of law in a world shrouded in uncertainty.
When Bahrain launched this project, our goal was clear and simple: to build a system based on integrity that delivers justice efficiently and effectively.
The Bahrain International Commercial Court is based on three simple basic pillars.
First, justice enables prosperity.
It is said that law and regulation hinder business activity, but experience has shown that the opposite is true.
Trade does not flourish in an environment where contracts are ambiguous. Investment does not last under volatile and unpredictable laws. Prosperity cannot continue where trust is absent.
The rule of law is not an obstacle to economic growth, but rather its primary driver.
Second, independent institutions gain trust.
This court will operate as an independent body, and its judicial structure will include an elite group of judges from the Kingdom of Bahrain and from the finest international judicial systems.
Its independence is not just an organizational characteristic, but rather a declaration of an established approach.
This means that justice in this court will be fair, impartial, and based on solid principles.
It also enhances the status and reputation of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and our region in general, with every ruling issued by this court.
Third, justice must keep pace with the times in which we live.
Today’s world economy is digital, rapidly changing, and deeply interconnected.
Conflicts cross borders as quickly as data travels.
Therefore, our legal systems must be flexible – embracing technology, simplifying procedures, and ensuring that justice keeps pace with developments and innovation.
The Bahrain International Commercial Court was designed to combine the precision of the law with the speed of modern business, and will provide its services to regional and international institutions efficiently and transparently.
Dear guests,
For centuries, our islands have been a crossroads of commerce, where merchants meet, ideas merge, and trust circulates as a primary currency.
This court is an extension of that historical process.
Bahrain’s openness is not limited to culture and trade, but is also embodied in its legal and institutional system.
This sends a clear message to the world that Bahrain is fully prepared to play its role in shaping a more just and stable global trade system.
Of course, there is no end to this journey – rather, it is one step at a time on the path to continuous development.
We will continue to invest in our judiciary, in legal education, and in partnerships that support and sustain excellence.
We will continue to reform, work together, and innovate – because justice requires constant connection with reality.
We will continue to communicate at the international level, confident that Bahrain’s example can inspire progress beyond its borders.
Today, Bahrain has gained a new pillar of power, and the many efforts that have been made to transform this dream into reality have contributed to building institutions that we hope will serve generations to come.
Thank you all.
For his part, His Excellency Mr. Sundarsh Menon, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Singapore, in his speech during the opening of the King Hamad Justice Forum, stressed that the inauguration of the Bahrain International Commercial Court (BICC) represents a historic moment in the process of institutional justice, praising the sound vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the great king of the country, may God protect and preserve him, in strengthening the rule of law and consolidating a justice environment based on impartiality and independence.
His Excellency pointed out that the strategic partnership between Bahrain and Singapore, which resulted in the establishment of the court in cooperation with the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), reflects the two countries’ commitment to strengthening international judicial cooperation and developing effective mechanisms for resolving cross-border commercial disputes. He praised Bahrain’s pivotal position as a legal and commercial center in the region, and its growing role in supporting cross-border justice.
His Excellency the Chief Justice explained that impartial justice is based on three basic pillars: geographical, institutional and procedural neutrality, stressing that the Bahrain International Commercial Court represents an advanced model of these principles, with the open legal environment it provides, a prestigious international judicial body, and flexible procedures based on global best practices.
His Excellency concluded his speech by expressing his thanks and appreciation to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, and to the Bahrain Council for the Resolution of International Disputes, for their steadfast support for this pioneering project, stressing that the establishment of the Bahrain International Commercial Court constitutes a beacon of justice and a pillar for building a more stable future in the global trading system based on the rules of law.
It is worth noting that the King Hamad Justice Forum includes an elite group of judges, government officials, international legal experts and commercial practitioners to discuss the impact of the new international courts on the movement of trade and investment, innovations in the field of cross-border dispute settlement, and the Kingdom of Bahrain’s vision to strengthen its position as a regional hub for commercial justice and global legal cooperation.
The Bahrain International Commercial Court will also play an important role in settling disputes in accordance with international best practices, in cooperation with international commercial courts of international standing and reputation, and encouraging the use of international dispute resolution methods in cross-border trade, which contributes to enhancing cross-border commercial justice.
