Expatriate lawyers based in Bahrain are no longer banned from appearing at arbitral proceedings.

Foreign lawyers practicing in Bahrain can now appear before a tribunal on a client’s behalf for arbitral proceedings, a new legal body has ruled.

The landmark rule was introduced following the recent launch of the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution (BCDR). Previously, no non-Bahraini lawyer was allowed to attend a dispute resolution tribunal.

In addition to the new ruling, the BCDR will enforce mandatory statutory arbitration legislation, providing final and binding rulings on commercial disputes.

Previously, any disputes fell under the jurisdiction of the Bahrain courts. They will now be referred to the BCDR, which was set up as an initiative between the Bahrain Ministry of Justice and the American Arbitration Association.

Claims exceeding BD500,0000 (US$1.3 million) which involve an international party or operation licenced by the Central Bank of Bahrain will automatically be heard at the BCDR. Parties may also choose to have their disputes resolved by BCDR arbitration.