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Lawyers are disputing the National Registration Department’s (NRD) requirement of a Shariah court order before it will remove the status “Islam” from the records of Malaysians, contending that the rule was arbitrary and unconstitutional.

Although acknowledging a Federal Court decision that says the NRD has the right to impose the requirement, the lawyers stressed that bureaucracy should not prevent anyone from exercising their constitutional right to religious freedom.

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The two judges who had advised the attorney-general (A-G) on unilateral child conversions have disqualified themselves from hearing two contentious interfaith custody cases.

Datuk Linton Albert, who chaired the three-man bench, told the Court of Appeal that Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh and Datuk Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid had opted out to avoid conflict of interest.

"I have consulted them and they have recused themselves because justice must also be seen to be done." Read more »

Former chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad, who has come under fire for his incendiary comments that the position of Islam is under threat in Penang, had revealed his racial and religious prejudice in a decision on a civil case which he heard as a High Court judge in the 90s, says a former federal court judge.

Retired Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram said he had sat on a Court of Appeal bench in 1996 which came across Hamid’s decision in a civil case that belied his prejudice. Read more »

The High Court today ordered the eight “Allah” CDs which the Home Ministry confiscated more than six years ago to be returned to clerk Jill Ireland.

Kuala Lumpur High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Zaleha Yusof quashed the Home Minister’s decision to seize the religious CDs on the grounds that the CDs used prohibited terms and breached Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) guidelines.

She also ordered the CDs returned to the owner. Read more »

On 22nd June, the Catholic Lawyers gathered together at the church of St Paul the Hermit, Batang Berjuntai, (Bestari Jaya) on the occasion of the feast of St Thomas More, the patron saint of the society.

In conjunction with the feast day and in line with our motto as Catholic Lawyers Society (CLS), and living out its faith through love and service, the Catholic lawyers chose to celebrate the feast of their patron, by way of service. Read more »

PAS will remain undeterred in their move to enforce hudud in Kelantan, despite the latest survey by an independent pollster showing Malaysians were not in favour of it, the party’s vice-president said today.

“No matter how many surveys are conducted, hudud is still compulsory for Muslims.

“PAS wants to implement hudud not because of any surveys or research but because it is God’s orders,” Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man told The Malaysian Insider. Read more »

The Catholic Lawyers Society of Malaysia (CLS) wishes to express its deepest condolences to the families of those on board MH17.

The CLS calls for a full and comprehensive investigation to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of this henious crime that has robbed so many of their lives and loved ones.

In the meantime, we pray that God will comfort and hold all those who have been so unjustly subjected to this painful experience. Read more »

The Catholic Lawyers’ Society, Kuala Lumpur congratulates and welcomes our new Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Archbishop Elect Most Rev. Julian Leow Beng Kim.

On 3 July, 2014 Pope Francis appointed Father Julian Leow Beng Kim, 50,  as the new archbishop of Kuala Lumpur.

His Excellency, Archbishop Joseph Marino, the Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia made the announcement at the archbishop’s residence in Kuala Lumpur. Read more »

Do Malaysians who no longer identify as Muslims have any recourse beyond subjecting themselves to the Shariah system that only recognises adherents of Islam?

With the recent furore over the disruptions of a Taoist funeral and a Hindu wedding by state religious authorities claiming that Muslims were involved, renewed attention has been focused on non―Muslims wishing to dispute official records of their Muslim identity. Read more »

An Indian woman whose Hindu wedding was recently disrupted by Selangor Islamic officials insisting she is Muslim despite her efforts to leave Islam has again put the spotlight on the difficulties in exiting the religion.

Like many Malaysians who dispute their official identities as Muslims, she was told to go to the Shariah courts in order to remove the status from her official documents. Read more »