Shura Council members yesterday approved an urgent amendment to the 392-article Maritime Law clearly defining Bahrain’s “territorial waters”.

It is defined as “inner waters, regional waters, adjacent waters, clear economic waters and the continental shelf”.

Territorial waters, in international law, is an area of the sea immediately adjacent to the shores of a nation and subject to its territorial jurisdiction.

Public utilities and environment affairs committee chairman Dr Mohammed Hassan said defining the boundaries gives Bahrain sovereignty over the sea around it.

“The terminology is used but what it includes is missed out. This could create confusion in disputes or any other problem that may occur should Bahrain’s waters be contested,” he said.

Shura legal advisers commission head Dr Nawful Al Ghirbal agreed with the move, saying unclear terminology could have disastrous consequences.

Shura Council chairman Ali Saleh Al Saleh postponed the remaining of the law until next week saying that Transportation and Communications Minister Kamal Ahmed, who was present during the session, had other commitments.

Members have debated 327 articles of the new law, with three disputed with the government.

The comprehensive legislation has been described as the second-largest in Bahrain’s legislative history, after the 1976 Penal Code which consists of 418 articles.

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