Role of Forensic Evidence in Upholding Justice: Exploring Islamic Law and the Experience of Syariah Courts in Malaysia

Abstract

In Islamic law of evidence, there are several forms of evidence commonly used by courts to establish facts. In today’s era, a form of evidence called forensic evidence has also emerged. A question then arises, what is the appropriate legal basis for acceptance of this forensic evidence in the Islamic law of evidence. This paper focuses on the evolution of the Islamic law of evidence and investigates the position of forensic evidence in Islamic law from sources such as the Quran, the Prophet’s traditions, and the practices of the Companions of the Prophet. In addition, this study also looks at the experience of the Malaysian Syariah Courts in terms of how forensic evidence is dealt with in hearing family law cases. The research design of this study is content analysis. Data were obtained by document analysis, including books, papers, journals, case reports, and other records relating to the role of forensic evidence. The methods used to interpret the data for this qualitative research are analytical and deductive. As a result, it can be said that forensic evidence is not an unfamiliar matter in the Islamic law of evidence. In fact, forensic evidence has been relied on by the Syariah Courts of Malaysia in making several decisions for certain cases in order to ensure that justice is upheld in society.