Sharia Courts of Appeal
About
The Sharia Court of Appeal is a court in Nigeria that reviews cases involving Sharia (Islamic) law, particularly from the northern and northeastern regions of the country. It exists within the Federal Capital Territory and forms part of the Unified Courts System. The court is considered the most controversial part of Nigeria's judicial system, because while it interprets and reviews cases relating to Islamic law, it must also interpret the common and customary laws of other regions of Nigeria.
History
Sharia was reintroduced as a body of civil and criminal law in twelve Muslim-majority Nigerian states from 1999, when then-Zamfara State governor Ahmad Sani Yerima began pushing for its institution at state level. Since 2000, those states have operated Sharia criminal courts alongside common law and customary law courts. In 2004, the Sharia Court of Appeal overturned the conviction of Amina Lawal, who had been sentenced to death by stoning by a state Sharia court, ruling that pregnancy was insufficient evidence for the sentence to be carried out.
Source: Wikipedia: Sharia in Nigeria
Key Facts
Established
2000
Jurisdiction
Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria; reviews Sharia law cases, particularly in the North and Northeast regions