Rights
A 2002 constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature
The 2002 Constitution converted the emirate into a kingdom with an elected Council of Representatives and an appointed Shura Council of equal size.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Constitutional Court reviews legislation. Court of Cassation is the highest ordinary court.
Governing law
- Constitution of Bahrain 2002
- Decree-Law 27 of 2002 on the Constitutional Court
In practice
The 2002 constitution's defining feature is that the appointed Shura Council has the same forty seats as the elected chamber and its consent is required for legislation, which means the elected chamber cannot legislate alone. This was the core grievance of the 2011 protests and remains the central constitutional argument in Bahrain. The King retains power to legislate by decree between sessions. The National Action Charter of 2001 that preceded the constitution was endorsed overwhelmingly in a referendum, and the divergence between what the Charter promised and what the 2002 constitution delivered is essential context for any account of Bahraini constitutional politics.