Syariah Court to appoint its first woman senior president
SINGAPORE — Singapore will see its first female senior president of the Syariah Court, with Guy Ghazali replacing the outgoing Alfian Yasrif Kuchit.
In a media release on Monday (27 July), the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said that Guy, 38, will understudy Alfian as senior president-designate from 1 August, before taking on the appointment on 1 October.
She will be the fourth senior president of the Syariah Court, which is an Islamic religious court that handles Muslim legal affairs according to Muslim law. She will assume responsibilities such as hearing and making judgments and orders on divorce cases.
Guy is a legal service officer, and currently serves as a district judge and assistant registrar in the Family Justice Courts. Prior to this, she was a litigation lawyer in private practice, and was a member of the Law Society of Singapore’s Muslim law practice, family law practice and probate practice committees.
Outgoing senior president to return to MUIS
Alfian, 42, will return to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), after being seconded to MCCY since 2009. He will continue to serve as an ad-hoc president of the Syariah Court, while pursuing a doctorate degree at the law faculty at National University of Singapore.
He has served as senior president of the Syariah Court since 2017, succeeding previous senior presidents Sallim Jasman (1999 to 2006) and Mohamad Haji Rais (2006 to 2017).
“Ms Guy’s appointment signals the government’s commitment towards strengthening the Syariah Court,” he said of Guy’s appointment as senior president.
“I welcome the appointment, as I am confident that her skills, abilities and network of contacts can help facilitate greater collaboration and partnership between the Syariah Court and other agencies.
“Families undergoing divorce face one of the toughest moments in their lives. As such, Syariah Court presidents should be conscious of the real-world impact that their decisions have on the lives of these families. For this reason, the Syariah Court must continue to be open to leaders like Ms Guy who can bring new perspectives and life experiences towards the administration of the law.”
Developing expertise in both Muslim and civil family law
In the media release, MCCY said that it is important to ensure that asatizah (religious teachers) who are trained in both Muslim and civil law helm the Syariah Court, as the needs of Muslim families evolve and divorces become more complex.
It is working with MUIS to develop such expertise among current and future asatizah. As a transitional arrangement, a civil judge with experience in Muslim family law will appointed to mentor the pool of asatizah to be future Syariah Court judges.
Mufti of Singapore Dr Nazirudin Nasir, who is the country’s highest Islamic authority and oversees key religious rulings for Muslims in the country, has expressed support for both Guy's appointment and the plan for Syariah Court judges to be trained in both Muslim and civil family laws.
“The judiciary is a complex institution that requires a high level of expertise in various disciplines,” he said in the media release.
“I am confident that Ms Guy Ghazali is well placed to lead the Syariah Court as well as develop our asatizah who can be future Syariah Court judges. I look forward to working with her and the Syariah Court team to further advance the practice of Muslim family law in accordance with the principles and progressive values of Islamic jurisprudence.”
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