Nov 24, 2013
Manama, January 21st 2013 (BNA) –A delegation from the Minister of Interior Ombudsman Office has visited their counter part organizations in the UK and France, in coordination with UK and France Embassies in Manama. The series of meetings were to discuss and review international norms and practices and to benefit from the experience and expertise of these bodies and institutions.
The Ombudsman Office’s Secretary-General, Nawaf Mohammed Al Ma’awda, said that the delegation started their visits and meetings in North Ireland. The delegation met with several officials in the offices of Ombudsmen and other relevant bodies, including Sam Pollock, the Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Policing Board and the former Executive Chief of the office of Ombudsman of Northern Ireland.
Bahrain’s delegation also met with Brendan McGuigan the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, and Bill Priestley, Lead Inspector for inspections of the Office of the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland, as well as Pauline McCabe, Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, in addition to Former Assistant Chief Constable in the Police Service, Stephen White.
Al Ma’awda stated that during the meetings, the delegation reviewed the Northern Ireland’s experience in the area of police and prison complaints, as well as inquired about the work mechanism of the relevant bodies in these areas, in addition to the powers of police work and the relevant checks and balances. The delegation was also briefed on the inspection mechanism, prisons visits, and the bodies reponsible with carrying out that task.
The Ombudsman Secretary-General said that their second stop included several meetings in the UK, namely, the meeting with Nicholas Long from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), where the delegation was briefed on the mechanism of how to deal with the complaints presented to the Commission and the way they classify them. The delegation was also briefed on the complaints procedure from recording to resolution, as well as means of appeal. The delegation was also briefed on issues and cases that do not fall within the accepted complaints criteria.
Al-Ma’awda added that their meetings included meeting with a delegation from the British Foreign Office, as well as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Nick Hardwick, and David Hurley, a Senior detective from the Metropolitan Police, and a number of inspectors from the Metropolitan Police. In addition, they met with delegations and figures representing a variety of bodies and institutions relevant to the work of the Ombudsman Office, including the international Bar Association, the Office of the Mayor of London Police and Crime, Director of Security Guard Monitoring System (SGMS), members of the National Council for Independent Monitoring, and other parties as well.
Al Ma’awda highlighted that the British Deputy Ambassador to Bahrain, Russ Dixon, and Shaikha Zaina Al Khalifa and Hussain Makhlooq from the Embassy of Kingdom of Bahrain in London accompanied the delegation in their meetings in both Northern Ireland and Britain.
The Ombudsman Secretary-General also said that the delegation concluded their meetings in France, where they met with a delegation from the Office of the Defender of Rights (Le Defenseur Des Droits), headed by Vice-President in charge of security ethics, Ms Françoise Mothes, where the meeting was attended by Bahrain’s Ambassador to France, HE Nasser Al Balushi. He also stressed that the meetings and visits resulted in a better understanding of best standards, mechanisms, and practices in key areas such; increasing awareness of the office and its functions, receiving complaints, following-up and keeping complainants informed of progress, and mechanism of monitoring and visiting the detention facilities, noting that the Ombudsman Office will be the first independent body after the judiciary, which will be authorized to visit and monitor detention facilities.
Al Ma’awda also stated that the establishment of the office, its areas of competence and authority come as implementation of the recommendation no. 1722 article (D) of Bahrain Independent Commission for Inquiry (BICI), as well as a continuation of the efforts highlighted in paragraph 86 of the second BICI Follow-up report issued in November of last year which affirmed the office’s responsibility of undertaking the task of visiting detention facilities and to ensure effective and independent monitoring.
Nawaf Mohammed Al Ma’awda concluded his statements, emphasizing that the visits have been very beneficial and have resulted in a deeper and more nuanced understanding of international experiences in different jurisdiction in that area, particularly with regard to the development of procedural and technical steps that determine the mechanism and the work course of the Office of Ombudsman. The meetings also contributed to the establishment of cooperation and constructive communication with the institutions and bodies of a similar nature to the work of the Office of Ombudsman in the UK and France and also briefing these parties of developments of the work of the office in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Kingdom's efforts in consolidating the values of human rights.
