In a 2-1 majority decision, the Federal Court today dismissed review applications by three prisoners seeking to set aside their whipping sentences, ruling that the punishment is constitutional.

Chief Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Azizah Nawawi formed the majority, while Federal Court judge Lee Swee Seng delivered the dissenting judgment.

The applicants - Helmi Anuar Kassim, 46; Kumanaan Anthony Vincent, 41; and J Sivachandran, 38 - contended that...