SHARIAH courts in Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan will operate on a limited basis from tomorrow until the conditional movement-control order (CMCO) is lifted.

The Malaysian Shariah Judiciary Department, in a statement today, said the courts will only hear shariah cases in certain categories including urgent cases that need to be given immediate attention, such as those involving abuse or to record consent.

“Applications can be made with immediate certification, which will be scrutinised by the chief registrar or registrar with the approval of the sharie chief judge, shariah high court judge or shariah lower court judge, subject to procedures set by the state,” it said.

The department said cases that have time limits such as filing of notice of appeal within 14 days will also be given priority.

Any case that has been set for mention or trial during the CMCO period will be postponed unless it has obtained immediate certification, the statement said.

According to the department, the move to limit the operations of shariah courts in affected states was taken following the directive of the director-general of Public Service Department Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman, who instructed a maximum of 30% staff to work in office from tomorrow until the partial lockdown ends.

It said the decision was made after discussions with the Federal Territories Shariah Court, as well as the shariah judiciary departments in Selangor and Sabah.

Guidelines on shariah court operations in Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan can be accessed via the official websites or Facebook pages of the three departments. – Bernama, October 21, 2020.