AMALAN SEMASA PENGENDALIAN SAKSI DI MAHKAMAH SYARIAH DI MALAYSIA:SATU TINJAUAN AWAL

Abstract

The profession of Shariah judges and lawyers requires high level of skills which cover various aspects and is not limited only to the skill of referring to legal sources such as statute or Islamic laws. Since witness is a very important party in Shariah civil and criminal proceedings, Shariah practitioners must have the skills to handle with all processes involving witnesses starting from the pre-trial process until the proses of giving testimony in court. They must be ready to accept witnesses from various backgrounds whether or not the witnesses fulfill the conditions of witness (syahadah) according to the law and fiqh or otherwise. This article presents the results of the study based on interviews and observations in the Shariah court on how Shariah legal practitioners deal with witnesses brought by parties in the case. This study also examines the extent to which legal practitioners' approaches in harmonizing legal theories and principles pertaining to the reality of the case as well as the witnesses they have to handle. The study summarizes that the theory and legal principles relating to the testimony, including the characteristics and criteria of the witnesses are quite difficult to be fulfilled as the parties are given the freedom to bring anyone as a witness as long as he/she can give evidence about the facts in issue of the case.

Abstrak

Profesion kehakiman dan guaman syarie memerlukan kemahiran yang sangat tinggi meliputi pelbagai aspek yang bukan hanya tertumpu kepada kemahiran merujuk sumber perundangan sama ada statut atau rujukan hukum syarak. Oleh kerana saksi merupakan pihak yang sangat penting dalam prosiding mal dan jenayah syariah, pengamal undang-undang memerlukan kemahiran mengendalikan segala proses yang melibatkan saksi bermula dari proses pra bicara sehingga proses memberikan keterangan di mahkamah. Mereka perlu juga bersedia menerima pelbagai ragam dan latar belakang saksi sama ada saksi yang dibawa oleh pihak-pihak memenuhi syarat-syarat saksi (syahadah) menurut undang-undang dan fiqh atau sebaliknya. Artikel ini mengemukakan hasil kajian berdasarkan metode temubual di mahkamah syariah tentang bagaimana para pengamal undang-undang mengendalikan saksi-saksi yang dibawa oleh pihak-pihak dalam kes mereka. Kajian ini juga melihat sejauh mana amalan dan pendekatan pengamal undang-undang dalam mengharmonikan teori dan prinsip perundangan berkaitan dengan realiti kes serta saksi yang mereka terima. Kajian ini merumuskan bahawa teori dan prinsip undang-undang berkaitan kesaksian, termasuklan ciri dan kriteria saksi agak sukar dipenuhi memandangkan pihak-pihak dalam kes diberikan kelonggaran serta kebebasan untuk membawa sesiapa sahaja sebagai saksi asalkan boleh memberikan keterangan berkaitan fakta-fakta yang menjadi isu dalam kes tersebut.