Penang: The country’s syariah judicial system must be strengthened and comprehensively improved to address the issue of prolonged case adjournments, ensuring that justice is delivered more swiftly and effectively. Former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi said that many cases in the syariah courts are delayed due to repeated adjournments and inefficiencies in court administration.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zaki highlighted that adjournments often occur due to various factors, including the absence of lawyers or parties involved, as well as adjournment requests made without valid reasons. Such delays not only waste time but also unfairly burden innocent parties, particularly in cases involving divorce, maintenance claims, and hadanah (child custody), especially those affecting the underprivileged.

Zaki urged judges to be firm in making decisions and to reject adjournment requests that lack strong justification. “Adjourned cases are simply a waste of time. The court is meant to serve justice, but when cases drag on for years, we are essentially denying justice, and it is the innocent who suffer,” he said.

He shared these insights with reporters after delivering a presentation titled ‘Memartabatkan Mahkamah Syariah di Malaysia’ at the Penang Syariah Law and Judicial Convention. Also present were Malaysian Bar Council president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab and Penang Syariah chief judge Za’im Md Yudin.

Explaining further, Zaki suggested that the service delivery system in the syariah court be improved to ensure that those in need receive proper assistance without being burdened by complicated or inconvenient procedures. He proposed that the syariah court administration assist individuals who cannot afford lawyers by creating user-friendly templates to simplify the process of filing cases. Zaki also encouraged lawyers to step in and help those who cannot afford legal services by offering pro bono assistance.