The sultan had already made religious education compulsory for Muslim children and ordered businesses to close during Friday prayers. But until now, Bruneis Sharia courts were limited to family matters like marriage and inheritance. Its civil courts are based on British law, a leftover from the sultanates days as a British protectorate. Bruneis citizens have one of the highest standards of living in Asia, thanks to revenues from oil and gas, and enjoy free medical care and education. The sultan pledged the new code would not change his countrys policies and officials have said in the past judges would be given discretion in sentencing. The code is to be applied only to Muslims, who make up about two-thirds of a population of 420,000.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 20:16:22 +0000
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