Dari Patih ke Penguatkuasa Agama: Penguatkuasaan Undang-undang Jenayah Islam di Brunei Darussalam (Kurun ke-16 hingga 2026)

From Patih to Religious Enforcement Officer: The Enforcement of Islamic Criminal Law in Brunei Darussalam (16th Century to 2026)

Abstract

Artikel ini menelusuri sejarah penguatkuasaan undang-undang jenayah Islam di Negara Brunei Darussalam dengan menumpukan kepada evolusi institusi, bidang kuasa, dan mekanisme penguatkuasaan dari abad ke-16 hingga era pasca-kemerdekaan. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan sejarah-perundangan melalui analisis dokumen arkib, manuskrip sejarah seperti Boxer Codex, perjanjian kolonial, serta perundangan dan laporan rasmi kerajaan. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa pada zaman Kesultanan Brunei, penguatkuasaan jenayah Islam dilaksanakan secara menyeluruh melalui gabungan kuasa eksekutif dan kehakiman oleh Sultan, pembesar negara, dan institusi agama. Namun, campur tangan British semasa era Residen Inggeris telah mengecilkan skop undang-undang jenayah Islam dan melemahkan sistem penguatkuasaannya. Keadaan ini beransur pulih menjelang kemerdekaan dengan penstrukturan semula institusi agama dan kehakiman, sehingga membawa kepada pengukuhan perundangan dan penguatkuasaan syariah dalam sistem perundangan moden Brunei.

This article explores the historical development of Islamic criminal law enforcement in Brunei Darussalam, focusing on institutional structures, jurisdictional authority, and enforcement mechanisms from the sixteenth century to the post-independence era. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on historical–legal analysis, drawing on various secondary sources, including historical manuscripts particularly the Boxer Codex, the Hukum Kanun Brunei, colonial treaties, and legal documents. The findings indicate that during the Brunei Sultanate, the enforcement of Islamic criminal law was comprehensively administered through a combination of judicial authority exercised by the Sultan, state officials, and religious institutions. The laws applied since the sixteenth century were the Kanon (Hukum Kanun Brunei), Hukum Syarak and Resam (local customs). During the British Residency era, the Muhammadan Law Enactment 1912 introduced imprisonment and fines, thereby marginalising the Kanun rooted in Islamic law, narrowing the scope of religious offences, and transforming its enforcement system. Efforts to restructure religious and judicial institutions continued from the 1950s, ultimately strengthening Shariah legislation and enforcement within the modern legal framework following Brunei’s independence in 1984. The study concludes that the enforcement of Islamic criminal law in Brunei reflects a dynamic interaction between indigenous legal traditions, colonial influence, and post-colonial state-building. This study contributes significantly to understanding the historical development of modern Shariah enforcement in Brunei.