ROSLIZA IBRAHIM v. KERAJAAN NEGERI SELANGOR & ANOR Abstract: The Syariah Court may only exercise jurisdiction over a person when it has over him both jurisdiction ratione personae , which is contingent on the person's legal persona, and jurisdiction ratione materiae or subject matter jurisdiction. Absent these jurisdictions the Syariah Court is not empowered to exercise any power over a person and if exercised would be ultra vires the Federal Constitution (FC). This said, in cases where a person's religious status of whether he is a Muslim or not is in dispute, a distinction needs be drawn between cases where one 'no longer professes the religion of Islam' and one who 'never professes the religion of Islam'; only the former which refers to renunciation cases is justiciable before the Syariah Court; the latter, which necessarily engages the issue of one's identity and legal status, must fall within the jurisdiction of the Civil Court. There is also a notable difference between the term 'profess and practise' and 'profess' as used in art. 11(1) of the FC and Item 1 of the State List of the FC respectively; 'profess' per se is a constitutional term that is justiciable before the Civil Court, whilst 'profess and practise' is a question of faith and dogma and falls within the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court by virtue of art. 121(1A) of the FC. CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: Jurisdiction – Syariah and Civil Courts – Legal status of child – Born to Buddhist mother and Muslim father – Whether Buddhist or Muslim – Whether illegitimate child – Whether parents married at time of birth – Whether constitutionally a person 'professing the religion of Islam' – Whether 'has never been a Muslim' – Whether case of 'no longer a Muslim' – Justiciability – Whether before Syariah or Civil Court – Federal Constitution, art. 121(1A); Item 1, List II, Ninth Schedule – Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 s. 2 & 2(b) – Islamic Family Law (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 s. 111 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: Jurisdiction – Syariah Court – Jurisdictions ratione personae and ratione materiae – Whether must exist before Syariah Court could exercise jurisdiction over person – Legal status of child at birth – Born to Buddhist mother and Muslim father – Whether Buddhist or Muslim – Whether matter of renunciation of Islam – Whether within exclusive domain of Syariah Court – Federal Constitution, art. 121(1A); Item 1, List II, Ninth Schedule – Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 s. 2 & 2(b) – Islamic Family Law (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003, s. 111 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: Courts – Federal Court – Competency – Legal status of child – Whether illegitimate – Whether Buddhist or Muslim – Issue of paternity (Nasab) – Whether transgressing into Islamic law jurisprudence – Whether Civil Court incompetent on its own to decide on issue without opinion of Islamic jurists – Federal Constitution, art. 121(1A); Item 1, List II, Ninth Schedule – Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 ss. 2 & 53 – Islamic Family Law (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003, s. 111 ISLAMIC LAW: Jurisdiction – Syariah Court – Illegitimate child – Religious status – Whether Buddhist or Muslim – Whether person 'professing the religion of Islam' – Whether Syariah Court had no jurisdiction to determine status of person who 'has never been a Muslim' – Whether jurisdiction restricted to person who 'was no longer a Muslim' – Jurisdictions ratione personae and ratione materiae – Federal Constitution, art. 121(1A); Item 1, List II, Ninth Schedule – Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 s. 2, 2(b) – Islamic Family Law (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003, s. 111 WORDS & PHRASES: 'Professing the religion of Islam' – Item 1, List II, Ninth Schedule, Federal Constitution – 'and' – Federal Constitution, art. 11(1) – Import and purport WORDS & PHRASES: 'Muslim'; 'parent' – Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003, s. 2 & 2(b) – Whether one a Muslim if either or both parents Muslim at time of birth – Whether 'parent' only referring to parent of legitimate child WORDS & PHRASES: 'Nasab' – Ascription of paternity – Section 111 Islamic Family Law (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 – Illegitimate child – Religion of putative father – Whether could be ascribed to illegitimate child |