The Kuala Lumpur High Court will hear on Nov 25, the Federal Territory Religious Council's application to strike out a non-Muslim woman's bid to be syarie lawyer.

On May 19, Victoria Jayaseele Martin filed a judicial review application to challenge a decision that only Muslim lawyers were allowed to practise at the syariah court in the Federal Territory.

Judge Mohd Zawawi Salleh set the date in chambers, upon meeting Martin's counsel, Ranjit Singh, and Sulaiman Abdullah who appeared for the council.

Ranjit told the media that the council filed the application to strike out the judicial review on the grounds that a civil court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter.

In her application, Martin also sought an order of certiorari to quash the council's decision, through the syarie lawyer committee, refusing her application to be admitted as syarie lawyer.

She named the council as respondent.

Among others, Martin, 48, wants a mandamus order to compel the religious council to accept her as syarie lawyer.

She also sought a declaration that Rule 10 of the Syarie Lawyer Rules 1993, mandating that only Muslims could be admitted as syarie lawyer, had contravened Articles 8, 5 and 10 of the Federal Constitution.

On May 14, she obtained permission from the High Court in her preliminary legal bid to be syarie lawyer in the Federal Territory after Justice Mohd Zawawi granted her leave to apply for judicial review.

This is the first test case in Kuala Lumpur of a non-Muslim lawyer being given leave to challenge the ruling that only Muslim lawyers are allowed to practise at the Syariah Court in Kuala Lumpur.

In the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, a key requirement to become a syarie lawyer is that one has to be Muslim.

Martin, who obtained a diploma in syariah law and practice from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 2004, had sought legal action at the civil court after her application for admission as syarie lawyer was rejected by the council.

- Bernama