Brunei, officially State of Brunei, and formally Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory bifurcated by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2023, the country had a population of 455,858, of whom approximately 180,000 resided in the capital and largest city of Bandar Seri Begawan. Its official language is Malay and Islam is the state religion of the country, although other religions are nominally tolerated. The government of Brunei is an constitutional absolute monarchy ruled by the Sultan, and it implements a fusion of English common law and jurisprudence inspired by Islam, including sharia.
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower court, elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the same meaning. Depending on the jurisdiction, such justices dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions. Justices of the peace are appointed or elected from the citizens of the jurisdiction in which they serve, and are usually not required to have any formal legal education in order to qualify for the office. Some jurisdictions have varying forms of training for JPs.
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judicial and executive powers. In other parts of the world, such as China, magistrate is a word applied to a person responsible for administration over a particular geographic area. Today, in some jurisdictions, a magistrate is a judicial officer who hears cases in a lower court, and typically deals with more minor or preliminary matters. In other jurisdictions, magistrates are typically trained volunteers appointed to deal with criminal and civil matters in their local areas.
In Malaysia, the Menteri Besar, colloquially referred to as MB, is the head of government of each of nine states in Malaysia with monarchs. For four states without a monarch, the title Chief Minister, is used except for Sarawak where it uses Premier (Premier). The title "Menteri Besar" is usually untranslated in the English media in Malaysia, but is typically translated as 'Chief Minister' by foreign media. According to protocol, all Menteris Besar, Chief Ministers and Premier are styled Yang Amat Berhormat, which means "The Most Honourable".
Limbang is a border town and the capital of Limbang District in the Limbang Division of northern Sarawak, East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. This district area is 3,978.10 square kilometres, and population was 56,900. It is located on the banks of the Limbang River, between the two halves of Brunei.
The legal system of Singapore is based on the English common law system. Major areas of law – particularly administrative law, contract law, equity and trust law, property law and tort law – are largely judge-made, though certain aspects have now been modified to some extent by statutes. However, other areas of law, such as criminal law, company law and family law, are almost completely statutory in nature.
The Judiciary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the judicial branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Under the Basic Law of Hong Kong, it exercises the judicial power of the Region and is independent of the executive and legislative branches of the Government. The courts in Hong Kong hear and adjudicate all prosecutions and civil disputes, including all public and private law matters.
The judiciary of Portugal is a system of courts that together constitute one of the four organs of Sovereignty as defined by the Portuguese Constitution. The courts are independent from the other three Portuguese organs of Sovereignty.
Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL) is the law faculty of International Islamic University Malaysia. Previously known as the Kulliyyah of Laws, it was renamed in 2000 in honour of its founder and ex-Dean, professor Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim. Being the first faculty formed together with the university, it is now one of the largest law schools in Malaysia and has produced thousands of law graduates since 1983.
The government of the U.S. state of Oregon, as prescribed by the Oregon Constitution, is composed of three government branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. These branches operate in a manner similar to that of the federal government of the United States.
The Government of Malaysia, officially the Federal Government of Malaysia, is based in the Federal Territory of Putrajaya, with the exception of the legislative branch, which is located in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is a federation comprising the 11 States of Malaya, the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak, and 3 Federal Territories operating within a constitutional monarchy under the Westminster system and is categorised as a representative democracy. The federal government of Malaysia adheres to and is created by the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, the supreme law of the land.
The politics of Brunei take place in a framework of an absolute monarchy, whereby the Sultan of Brunei is both head of state and head of government. As the only absolute monarchy still in existence in Asia, Brunei is the only ruling monarchy in Southeast Asia. As of 2023, Brunei is one of seven monarchic dictatorships in the world. The freedoms of assembly and the press have been severely restricted. Authorities regulate online discourse, yet it's nevertheless vibrant.
Mohammad Nizar Bin Jamaluddin v Zambry Bin Abd. Kadir was a case decided in the High Court of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The case was brought by Menteri Besar of Perak state, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, against Zambry Abdul Kadir, who acted as Menteri Besar after three members of the state legislative assembly defected from Nizar's Pakatan Rakyat and threw their support behind Zambry's Barisan Nasional coalition. The subsequent confusion and controversy regarding the state government resulted in the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis. In his judgment handed down on 11 May 2009, Justice Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim ruled that Nizar was and had always been the rightful Menteri Besar, and ordered Zambry to immediately cease acting as Menteri Besar. The Court of Appeal granted a stay of execution of the High Court's order the following day, further confusing the situation.
In England and Wales, magistrates are trained volunteers, selected from the local community, who deal with a wide range of criminal and civil proceedings. They are also known as Justices of the Peace. In the adult criminal court, magistrates decide on offences that carry up to twelve months in prison, or an unlimited fine. Magistrates also sit in the family court where they help resolve disputes that involve children, and in the youth court, which deals with criminal matters involving young people aged 10-17. Established over 650 years ago, the magistracy is a key part of the judiciary of England and Wales, and it is a role underpinned by the principles of 'local justice' and 'justice by one's peers'.
The Judiciary of Sri Lanka are the civil and criminal courts responsible for the administration of justice in Sri Lanka. The Constitution of Sri Lanka defines courts as independent institutions within the traditional framework of checks and balances. They apply Sri Lankan Law which is an amalgam of English common law, Roman-Dutch civil law and Customary Law; and are established under the Judicature Act No 02 of 1978 of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.
Dato Seri Paduka Haji Marsal bin Maun was the second Menteri Besar, who served from 1961 to 1962. It was during his tenure as Menteri Besar that the Brunei Revolt broke out. He was one of the person responsible for the establishment of the Federation of Brunei Malay Teachers (PGGMB) and Brunei Scout Movement, which both still run till today. He was a prominent member of the Brunei Malay Teachers' Union, close to Sultan Omar Ali Safuddien III, and the first of the "three M's" that the British government dreaded.
Tun Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Majid was the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Malacca from 1971 to 1976. He also served as Menteri Besar in two states from 1952 until 1956.
The Selangor state government refers to the government authority of the Malaysian state of Selangor. The state government adheres to and is created by both the Malaysian federal Constitution, the supreme law of Malaysia, and the Constitution of the State of Selangor, the supreme law in Selangor. The government of Selangor is based in the state's capital city of Shah Alam.
Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abang Iskandar bin Abang Hashim is a Malaysian jurist and lawyer who serves as the twelfth President of the Court of Appeal. He previously served as the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak (CJSS).
