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What recent government or parliamentary actions on Sharia law occurred in 2018 2021 2023?
Executive Summary
The record shows identifiable government or parliamentary actions touching on Sharia law in 2018 and 2021, while searches of the provided material turn up little direct evidence of distinct, widely reported national-level actions in 2023. In 2018 the UK commissioned an independent review of Sharia councils and US state-level anti‑Sharia legislation appeared; in 2021 there were legislative and codification moves in Saudi Arabia and proposals to expand Sharia courts’ jurisdiction elsewhere. These items point to two contrasting patterns: domestic review and restraint in liberal democracies, and codification or jurisdictional expansion in states where Islamic law is a central component of the legal order [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. Why 2018 looked like a turning point in liberal democracies — oversight not outlawing
In 2018 the UK government made public an independent review of Sharia councils that recommended regulation, civil registration of Islamic marriages, and awareness campaigns to protect women using those services. The review, led by academic experts, found that most users were women seeking Islamic divorces and urged measures to prevent misuse while acknowledging the councils’ community role; the Home Office however declined to implement the regulation recommendations, stressing that Sharia has no jurisdiction in UK law and that regulating the councils risked appearing to endorse parallel legal systems [1] [2]. In the same year in the United States, state-level anti‑Sharia initiatives resurfaced, exemplified by Idaho’s HB 419, which sought to bar courts from applying foreign laws that did not provide protections equivalent to American constitutional guarantees; critics warned of unintended harms to families involved in international legal matters and of the bills’ exclusionary rhetoric [3]. Together these 2018 developments showed institutional caution and political pushback rather than wholesale legal bans.
2. What happened in 2021 — codification and jurisdictional expansion in different systems
In 2021 the most notable actions involved reform and codification in jurisdictions where Sharia forms the backbone of state law. Saudi Arabia announced and advanced a package of reforms, including publication of a book of legal principles, clearer commercial court rules, electronic notification procedures, and the promulgation of a Personal Status Law and Penal Code aimed at increasing legal certainty in areas informed by Sharia; these measures represent a trend toward modernizing and systematizing Sharia-derived rules for predictability in commerce and family matters [4]. Elsewhere, legislative proposals sought to broaden Sharia courts’ remit: a bill reported in the provided material aimed to expand Sharia courts to preside over criminal matters by amending constitutional jurisdictional provisions — a move framed by proponents as securing institutional protection for religious courts, and by opponents as raising separation‑of‑powers and rights concerns [5]. These 2021 entries show divergent state strategies: systematize Sharia within state law, or enlarge its adjudicative reach.
3. Why 2023 produced little comparable, unified action in the sources
The supplied analyses do not identify prominent, single‑country government or parliamentary actions specifically dated to 2023 akin to the 2018 review or the 2021 Saudi measures. Where material discusses related themes it either reports reforms enacted earlier (2018–2021) or judicial rulings that crystallized later disputes. The absence of a clear set of 2023 legislative landmarks in the provided data suggests that no comparable cross‑jurisdictional shift was captured by these sources for that year, or that actions in 2023 were more incremental, localized, or judicial rather than headline legislative moves [1] [4] [5] [6]. That gap underscores the importance of differentiating between legislative initiative, executive reform, and judicial review when tracking Sharia‑related state action across years.
4. How courts and constitutional boundaries reshaped the conversation by 2024
Subsequent judicial developments highlight a different trajectory: courts can constrain state Sharia laws when they conflict with constitutional or federal competencies. A top‑court ruling in Malaysia struck down numerous state Islamic laws on grounds that the subject matter encroached on federal law‑making powers, illustrating how judicial review can limit subnational Sharia enactments and provoke political backlash from Islamists and state governments that favor expanded religious codes [6] [7] [8]. This judicial dynamic is a key counterpoint to legislative codification: states may pursue clearer Sharia‑based codes and procedures, but higher courts can redefine boundaries and nullify state measures that exceed constitutional competence. The ruling also shows the political sensitivity and potential domino effect of court decisions in multi‑layered legal systems.
5. What the actors say — competing agendas and the policy implications
Across these items, two agendas are visible: reformers seeking clarity, protection, and modernization within legal frameworks, and critics warning about parallel legalisms or expansion of religious jurisdiction. The UK review pushed regulatory safeguards to protect Muslim women while rejecting closure as impractical; US state anti‑Sharia bills framed themselves as protective but drew civil‑liberties objections; Saudi reforms and proposed expansions frame measures as strengthening legal certainty within an Islamic framework, while judicial pushback in Malaysia underscores constitutional limits to state religious lawmaking [1] [2] [3] [4] [6]. Policymakers must weigh legal clarity, human‑rights safeguards, and constitutional boundaries when evaluating reforms or restrictions related to Sharia in any jurisdiction.