PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE USE OF EXPERT OPINION EVIDENCE UNDER ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE AND THE MALAYSIAN SYARIAH COURT LEGAL FRAMEWORK

PRINSIP PEMAKAIAN KETERANGAN PENDAPAT PAKAR MENURUT FIQH ISLAM DAN PERUNDANGAN DI MAHKAMAH SYARIAH MALAYSIA

Abstract

Expert opinion evidence has become an increasingly important mode of proof in judicial proceedings, particularly in cases involving specialised knowledge or technical expertise. Although the Syariah Court Evidence Enactments provide for the admissibility of expert opinion evidence, no study has systematically identified and compared the principles governing its use from the perspectives of Islamic jurisprudence and Malaysian Syariah court law. Accordingly, this article aims to analyse the principles governing the use of expert opinion evidence under these two legal sources. This study adopts a qualitative approach using a doctrinal legal research design. Data were collected through library research and analysed using content analysis and comparative analysis of Islamic legal sources, statutory provisions, practice directions, judicial decisions, and relevant academic literature. The findings identify five fundamental principles under Islamic jurisprudence and five corresponding principles under Malaysian Syariah court law. The analysis further reveals that while both systems share a common objective of ensuring the proper use of expert opinion evidence, they differ in their substantive and procedural approaches. This study contributes by systematically synthesising these principles into a coherent analytical framework, thereby providing a useful reference for strengthening evidential practices and the application of expert opinion evidence in the Malaysian Syariah Courts.

Abstrak

Keterangan pendapat pakar merupakan salah satu kaedah pembuktian yang semakin penting dalam sistem kehakiman, khususnya bagi menyelesaikan isu-isu yang melibatkan pengetahuan atau kemahiran khusus. Walaupun Enakmen Keterangan Mahkamah Syariah memperuntukkan penerimaan keterangan pendapat pakar, masih belum terdapat kajian yang menghimpunkan dan membandingkan secara sistematik prinsip-prinsip pemakaiannya menurut fiqh Islam dan perundangan Mahkamah Syariah Malaysia. Justeru, artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis prinsip-prinsip pemakaian keterangan pendapat pakar menurut kedua-dua sumber tersebut. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif melalui reka bentuk kajian doktrinal dengan kaedah kajian kepustakaan, analisis kandungan dan analisis perbandingan terhadap sumber-sumber fiqh, peruntukan undang-undang, arahan amalan, keputusan mahkamah dan penulisan akademik yang berkaitan. Dapatan kajian mengenal pasti lima prinsip utama menurut fiqh Islam dan lima prinsip utama menurut perundangan Mahkamah Syariah Malaysia. Analisis turut menunjukkan bahawa kedua-dua sistem mempunyai persamaan dari segi matlamat, namun berbeza dari sudut pendekatan substantif dan prosedural dalam pemakaian keterangan pendapat pakar. Kajian ini menyumbang kepada penghimpunan dan sintesis prinsip-prinsip tersebut secara sistematik sebagai rujukan dalam memperkukuh amalan pembuktian serta pemakaian keterangan pendapat pakar di Mahkamah Syariah Malaysia.