Perlis Syariah Court to conduct in-camera proceeding for divorce cases

KANGAR - The Syariah Court in Perlis will conduct in-camera (closed-door) proceedings involving divorce cases.

Istana Arau, in a statement today, said that the directive was issued by the state Syariah Chief Judge Jaidi Ahmad after receiving consent from the Regent of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail.

Tuanku Syed Faizuddin, who is also the state Islamic Religion and Malay Customs Council president, has consented to in-camera proceedings to be implemented by the Perlis Syariah Judiciary Department (JKSNPs) starting July 1, 2023.

The directive was announced during the Maips forum held in conjunction with the sighting of the new moon of Zulhijah, organised by the state Mufti Department at the Al Hussain Mosque in Kuala Perlis yesterday.

The statement said that the decision was made to protect the interests of the parties involved as well as to avoid the element of slander that could lead to defamation.

Also in the same statement, Jaidi said the implementation was made as a result of a study of the practice implemented in Doha, Qatar.

Meanwhile, state Mufti Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, in the same statement, said Islam stresses the obligation to protect someone’s dignity by concealing his or her ‘aib’ (shame) which cannot be known and commented on by others.

He said that people often judge other people's marriages without understanding the actual situation, even though there is no interest for them to know or comment in the first place. - BERNAMA