Exporting a Constitutional Court to Brunei? Benefits and Prospects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31078/consrev826Keywords:
Brunei, Constitutional Court, State of Emergency, Sultan, Judicial ReviewAbstract
Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei) is Asia’s only, and one of the world’s few remaining, absolute monarchies. Brunei’s much-venerated Sultan and Yang Di Pertuan Agong is accountable to only Allah as his “shadow on earth”. Within the Sultanate he is head of religion, Prime Minister, and as Sultan he appoints all members to the nation’s six advisory Councils. He is above the law and is the country’s legislator. He can amend the constitution and bypass the Legislative Council without court oversight. Judicial review was formally abolished in 2004. The accrual of power – judicial, religious, legislative, and executive – in the hands of one man is only possible by the continued renewal of a state of emergency. Since 1962, the state of emergency has been renewed every two years and once Brunei is in a state of emergency, all powers devolve to its Sultan. There is an absence of any effective checks and balances mechanism such as a democratically elected Legislative Council, a free and open media, a judiciary with powers of constitutional review, an accountable executive government, or an engaged civil society. Because the constitutionality of sixty years of emergency rule in Brunei has never been judicially determined, this paper argues it would be the first task for an independent Constitutional Court. The need for such determination on the legitimacy of Brunei’s biennial emergency proclamations is set out and a case made as to why a Constitutional Court could be the circuit breaker for a return democratic participation, rule of law, and fundamental human rights in the Sultanate. There is reflection on the obstacles to any reform which make the prospects for this unlikely in the lifetime of the current Sultan.
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Anon. “Syariah not against Human Rights.” Borneo Bulletin, 24 October 2013.
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Bandial, Quratul-Ain. “Law Society calls for return of judicial review.” Brunei Times, 14 April 2015.
Black, Ann. “Casting the First Stone: The Significance of the Syariah Penal Code Order for LGBT Bruneians.” Australian Journal of Asian Law 20, no.1 (2019).
Black, Ann. “Judicial Independence in Brunei Darussalam.” In Asia-Pacific Judiciaries: Independence, Impartiality and Integrity. Edited by H.P. Lee and Marilyn Prittard. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2018.
Black, Ann. “Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum: Royalty, Women, and Ideology in the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam.” Royal Studies Journal 7, no. 2 (2020).
Black, Ann. “The Syariah Factor: One of many Challenges for Foreign Judges in the Courts of Brunei Darussalam.” In The Cambridge Handbook of Foreign Judges on Domestic Courts, edited by Anna Dziedzic and Simon Young. Cambridge University Press, 2023.
Bociaga, Robert. “Brunei: Spoiled Subject of the Sultan.” The Diplomat (11 February 2020). https://thediplomat.com/2020/02/brunei-spoiled-subjects- of-the-sultan/
Braighlinn, G. (pseudonym). Ideological Innovation under Monarchy: Aspects of Legitimation Activity in Contemporary Brunei. Amsterdam: VU University Press: 1992.
Chen, Albert HY. “Constitutional Courts in Asia: Western Origins and Asian Practice.” In Constitutional Courts in Asia. Edited by Albert H.Y. Chen and Andrew Harding. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Compulsory Religious Education Act (Cap. 215).
Constitution of Brunei Darussalam, 1959. https://www.agc.gov.bn/AGC%20Images/ LOB/cons_doc/constitution_i.pdf.
Constitution of Malaysia.
Constitution of Singapore.
Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia.
ConstitutionNet. “Emergency Powers in Constitutions.” Available at https:// constitutionnet.org/vl/item/emergency-powers-constitutions.
Damit, Mohd Yusop Hj. “Brunei Darussalam: Towards a New Era.” In Southeast Asian Affairs. Edited by Daljit Singh & Lorraine Salazar. Singapore: ISEAS, 2007.
Emergency (Confirmation and Validity of Emergency Provisions) Order (2004).
Emergency (Council of Ministers and Legislative Council) Order, 1970.
“Expanding Freedom and Democracy.” Freedom House. www.freedomhouse.org.
Ginsburg, Tom. Judicial Review in New Democracies: Constitutional Courts in Asian Cases. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
Government of Brunei, Titah website. Available at http://www.rtb.gov.bn/Titah/.
Government of Brunei, Information Department website. Available at http:// www.information.gov.bn/VER2/content/view/448/54/.
Hazama, Yasushi. “Hegemonic preservation or Horizontal Accountability.” Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, 2010. Available at https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0192512111414132
Hirschl, Ran. Towards Juristocracy: the Origins and Consequences of the New Constitutionalism. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004.
Human Rights Resource Centre. “Keeping the Faith: A Study of Freedom, Conscience and Religion in ASEAN.” Human Rights Resource Centre, 2015.
“Information Department, Government of Brunei.” The Borneo Post. Accessed 12 November 2022. http://www.information.gov.bn/VER2/content/view/448/54/.
Internal Security Act (Cap. 133).
International Commission of Jurists. “Brunei: New Penal Code a Blueprint for Human Rights Violations.” 27 January 2014. Available at https://www.icj.org/ brunei-new-penal-code-a-blueprint-for-human-rights-violations.
Islamic Family Law Act (Cap. 217).
Kuru, Ahmet T. “Authoritarianism and Democracy in Muslims Countries: Rentier
States and Regional Diffusion.” Political Science Quarterly 129, no. 3 (2014).
Ku, Samuel C Y. “Brunei in 2009. Maturity in Doubt?” Asian Survey 50, (2009).
Mahmud, Rokia. “Blessed as a Zikir nation.” Borneo Bulletin, 12 May 2021.
Mohamad, Lyna. “Vigilance on Deviant Teachings.” Borneo Bulletin, 31 December 2006.
“Musawah Thematic Report on Muslim Family law: Brunei Darussalam.” 59th CEDAW Session (October 2014). Available at https://arabic.musawah.org/ sites/default/files/MusawahThematicReportArt16Brunei.pdf
Muller, Dominik. “Sharia law and the Politics of “Faith Control” in Brunei Darussalam.” Internationales Asienforum 46, no. 3-4 (2015).
Marbury v. Madison, 1 Cranch 137 (1803).
N.A. “His majesty reminds the country to be wary of Akidah Deviation.” Borneo Post, 23 September 2017. Available at http://www.theborneopost. com/2017/09/23/his-majesty-reminds-the-country-to-be-wary-of-akidah- deviation/.
N.A. "Sulta “Sultan Hits Back at Rare Criticism over Sharia.” The Star Online, 26 February 2014. Available at https://www.thestar.com.my/News/ Regional/2014/02/26/Brunei-sultan-hits-back-at-rare/.
Neher, Clark and Marley, Ross. Democracy and Development in Southeast Asia. Boulder: Westview Press, 1995.
Newspaper Act (Cap. 105).
News. “Brunei Darussalam: Revoke New Penal Code Allowing Stoning, Whipping and Amputation.” 30 April 2014. Available at https://www.amnesty.org/en/ latest/news/2014/04/brunei-darussalam-penal-code/.
Ng, Joel. “Rule of Law as a Framework within the ASEAN Community.” Journal of East Asia & International Law 5, no. 2 (2012).
Othman, Azlan. “Imams remind Ummah against anti-Hadith groups.” Borneo Bulletin, 30 March 2013.
Othman, Azlan. “His Majesty Announces Big Changes for Brunei.” Borneo Bulletin, 16 July 2004.
Powell, Emilia Justyna and Ilana Rothkopf. “Constitutional Courts and Rule of Law in Islamic Law States: A Comparative Study.” JLC-Mena 1 (December 2020). Available at Constitutional-Courts-and-Rule-of-Law-in-Islamic-Law- States-Comparative-Study.pdf (jcl-mena.org)
Religious Council and Kadis Courts Act (Cap. 77).
Salleh, M. “Brunei: New era dawns in Brunei.” Borneo Bulletin, 17 July 2004.
Sedition Act (Cap. 24).
Societies Order (2005).
State of Brunei Darussalam & Brunei Investment Agency v. HRH Prince Jefri Bolkiah and others [2001] UKHL 67; [2002] 2 AC 357.
Succession and Regency Proclamation (1959).
Supreme Court Act (Cap. 5).
Sweet, Alec Stone. “Constitutional Courts.” In The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Law. Edited by Michel Rosenfeld and Andras Sajo. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2012.
Syariah Courts Act (Cap. 184).
Syariah Courts Evidence Order 2001.
Syariah Penal Code Order (2013).
Tey, Tsun Hang. “Brunei’s Revamped Constitution: The Sultan as the Grundnorm?” Australian Journal of Asian Law 9, no. 2 (2007).
“The Ranking.” Reporters without Borders. Available at https://rsf.org/en/ranking.
UN General Assembly, Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, 3. Available at https://www. refworld.org/docid/3ae6b38f0.html.
UN General Assembly, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: resolution / adopted by the General Assembly, 24 January 2007, A/RES/61/106, https://www.refworld.org/docid/45f973632.html
UN General Assembly, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, 18 December 1979, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, 13. Available at https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3970.html.
Yazdi, Yahya. “Censorship is Still Important.” The Brunei Times, 19 November 2007. Available at http://www.bt.com.bn/node/25562/print.
Zin, Roz Alai. “Rights, Social responsibilities of Bloggers.” The Brunei Times, 26 September 2010.
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Published
2022-12-30
How to Cite
Black, A. (2022). Exporting a Constitutional Court to Brunei? Benefits and Prospects. Constitutional Review, 8(2), 361–391. https://doi.org/10.31078/consrev826
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