Table of Contents Introduction 7 Chapter I: Amendments to the Law on the Establishment of the National Institution for Human Rights 9 Chapter II: Advisory Opinions Submitted by the National Institution for Human Rights 15 Section I: Advisory Opinions Submitted to the Legislative Authority 16 Section II: The advisory opinions submitted by the NIHR to the Council of Ministers (the executive branch) 34 Section III: Advisory opinions filed by the National Institution for Human Rights to the Supreme Judicial Council (the judiciary) 37 Chapter III: The role of National Institutions for Human Rights in the promotion and protection of human rights 41 Section I: The role of the NIHR in the field of promoting human rights 42 Section II: The role of the NIHR in the field of human rights protection 46 Chapter IV: Main issues with direct impact on the situation of human rights 55 Section I: The human rights situation in the kingdom of Bahrain 56 Section II: Guarantees of a fair trial: the role of the Court of Cassation 58 Section III: The right to work: domestic and foreign labor rights 60 Section IV: Alternative sanctions not based on deprivation of freedom 66 Section V: The rights of persons with disabilities and handicaps: advantages and obstacles 71 5