The Federal Court would hear on Sept 22 the application for leave by the government and three others to appeal against a ruling involving a former social and political activist.

The applicants are seeking to overturn a court of appeal decision that the arrest and prosecution of Dr Kassim Ahmad for allegedly insulting Islam and defying Muslim authorities were null and void.

Justice Zaharah Ibrahim fixed the date when the case came up for case management today.

Senior federal counsel Maisarah Juhari acted for the four applicants namely, the government, Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom, and the then-Federal Territory Syariah chief prosecutor.

Kassim was represented by counsel Muhammad Faizal Faiz Mohd Hasani.

On Dec 21, 2015, a Court of Appeal panel comprising Justice Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Abdul Rahman Sebli and Hasnah Mohammed Hashim ruled that Kassim’s arrest and prosecution were null and void and bad in law.

The panel made the ruling after unanimously allowing Kassim’s appeal against a High Court’s dismissal of his application for judicial review on the Federal Territory Syarie prosecution chief’s decision to charge him at the Putrajaya Syariah High Court.

The court of appeal held that Kassim’s arrest on March 26, 2014, at his house in Taman Kulim Perdana, Kulim, Kedah was illegal as it was not in accordance with the Kedah Syariah Enactment.

Justice Ong, who read out the judgment, said Kassim was brought to Penang before travelling to Kuala Lumpur to be charged at Putrajaya Syariah High Court.

“Fatwa (over tha charge) is only binding for Muslims residing in the Federal Territory; the appellant (Kassim) being a resident in Kedah is not disputed. As he was not arrested in the Federal Territory, therefore he is not obliged by the fatwa,” said Justice Ong.

The 82-year-old had claimed trial to three charges of insulting Islam and defying Islamic authorities at the Syariah High Court on March 27, 2014.

The trial has yet to start pending the outcome of the leave to appeal.

On Jan 6, 2015, the Kuala Lumpur High court dismissed Kassim’s application for a judicial review to challenge Jawi’s decision to charge him at the Syariah High Court.

- Bernama