Feb 9 verdict on challenge against K'tan syariah criminal provisions

A Kelantan family would know on Feb 9 whether they succeeded in their bid to strike down 18 provisions of the state’s syariah criminal law.

In a letter from the Palace of Justice to the family’s counsel from law firm Messrs Surendra Ananth, the Federal Court informed that a verdict would be delivered in open court at 9am on Feb 9.

On Nov 20 last year, the apex court chaired by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat reserved judgment after hearing submissions from parties.

The other members of the Federal Court bench were president of the Court of Appeal Amar Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, Chief Judge of Malaya Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli, as well as Federal Court judges Nallini Pathmanathan, Mary Lim Thiam Suan, Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal, Nordin Hassan and Abu Bakar Jais.

Initially, Kelantan-born lawyer Nik Elin Abdul Rashid and her daughter Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman filed a petition at the Federal Court to challenge 20 state syariah criminal provisions but dropped two of the provisions from the challenge.

The dropped provisions were on false claims and gambling.

The case attracted consternation from certain quarters, with Perikatan Nasional leaders previously declaring public rallies to protest the case.

The main respondent targeted by the legal action is the state government.

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