Jurisdiction of Appeals Hearing in The Shariah Court

Abstract

The Sharia courts in Malaysia are endowed with jurisdiction to hear appeals under enactments. Each hierarchy of Sharia Court that undergoes review has its own jurisdiction to hear such reviews. However, questions arise regarding the extent to which the structure and jurisdiction of judicial reviews in the Sharia Courts are justifiably discussed. Therefore, this article aims to examine the review structure in the Sharia Courts of the states in Malaysia and the jurisdiction of reviews hearing within the Islamic laws. This study adopts a qualitative legal approach using content analysis method. The study finds that Sharia Courts in each state in Malaysia have their own hierarchy of reviews. In addition, the Sharia Courts in Malaysia have the jurisdiction to hear reviews from the Lower Sharia Court to the Higher Sharia Court, and from the Higher Sharia Courtt to the Sharia Appeals Court. Hence, this article is crucial as a guide for Sharia law practitioners in Malaysia to conduct the review process in Sharia courts.