Syariah amendments constitutional, says former judge

Mohamad Ariff speaking at a lecture on the legality of the proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355).

PETALING JAYA: Amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) are constitutional, but the proposed upper limits of its punishments are too high, warns retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof.

He said attempting to set higher punishments through the Syariah courts would destroy the precepts that these courts were of limited power.