AROUND 300 members of the legal profession, including justices, judges, prosecutors, and lawyers from major branches of government, are expected to attend the first National Shari’ah Summit: Forging the Role of Shari’ah in the National Legal Framework on March 5 and 6, 2023, in Cagayan de Oro City.
Also expected to attend the summit at Limketkai Luxe Hotel are Shari’ah counselors, Shari’ah judges, members of the academe, representatives of non-governmental organizations, as well as foreign delegates from countries, which implement Shari’ah laws.
The event is organized by the Supreme Court in cooperation with its judicial education arm, the Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA), and in partnership with the Support to Bangsamoro Transition (Subatra), the Justice Sector Reform Program: Governance in Justice (GOJUST), the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF), Cooperación Espańola, and the European Union.
The SC said the summit aims to be a venue for knowledge sharing of ideas and the best practices involving Shari’ah and equip all participants with the basic principles of the Shari’ah justice system.
It will serve as a platform to address issues challenging the country’s Shari’ah legal and judicial system and to explore opportunities on how to strengthen the support for Shari’ah justice.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, who will lead a roster of speakers, will discuss SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI) on Strengthening the Foundations of Shari’ah.
Officials from the Executive and Legislative branches of government will deliver messages of support.
Among the topics on the first day of the summit are “Brief History of Muslim Filipinos,” “Updates on the Peace Process,” “Shari’ah in the Philippine Legal Framework,” “Shi’a and Sunni, and the Four Sunni Madhab [Schools of Thought],” “Concept of Halal,” and “Islamic Banking in the Philippines.”
A panel discussion focusing on “Women in Islam” is scheduled.
The topics for the second day include “The Muslim Code and the Bangsamoro Organic Law,” “Supreme Court Decisions on Shari’ah,” “Salient Provisions of the Proposed Revised Special Rules of Procedure in Shari’ah Courts,” and “Islamic Banking and Finance.”
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