A former Court of Appeal judge yesterday said passing PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's proposed amendments to Act 355 could give rise to potential abuse through greater discrepancies in punishments meted out by syariah courts throughout Malaysia.

Former judge Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof in his constitutional law lecture at Universiti Malaya yesterday, argued that Abdul Hadi's proposed amendments, while in accordance with constitutional provisions on jurisdiction of the syariah courts, could lead to abuse and discrepancies in sentencing.