The British Government does not record statistics of cases bought before Sharia Courts in Brunei. Sharia Courts have been present in Brunei for decades. Sharia Family law has been used in Brunei alongside the Common Law and predates the Sharia Penal Code. The first phase of the Sharia Penal Code Order was introduced in 2013. Phase III was implemented on 3 April. There have been no convictions in Sharia Courts since 3 April under Phase III of the Sharia Penal Code.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1405", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Field"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cities of London and Westminster"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Field"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-09T13:14:49.893Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-05-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Brunei: Legal Systems"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of people convicted in Sharia Courts in Brunei since the introduction of those courts.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4425", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Stevens"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cardiff Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jo Stevens"} ], "uin" : "250502"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1110670", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1110670/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
\u200bThe UK encourages all Commonwealth partners to protect and promote the values in the Commonwealth Charter, including its opposition to all forms of discrimination. We have made clear that nobody should face persecution or discrimination because of who they are or whom they love.<\/p> Brunei is one of several Commonwealth countries that imposes corporal and capital punishments. It has now introduced new potential penalties under the Sharia Penal Code.<\/p> We have raised our concerns with the Government of Brunei. We will continue to encourage Brunei to remove corporal and capital punishment from its statutes, to pass laws that decriminalise same-sex relations and protect LGBT people from all forms of discrimination.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4703", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Barran"}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Barran"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1110670/answer/previousversion/115069", "answeringMember" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4306", "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Goldie"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-04-25T16:16:20.82Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Brunei: Legal Systems"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 8 April (HL14929), whether they have discussed the changes to Brunei\u2019s laws with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth; and whether, while such laws remain in place, they will call for Brunei\u2019s suspension from the Commonwealth due to those laws' incompatibility with Commonwealth values.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"}
], "uin" : "HL15134"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1108822", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1108822/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Foreign Secretary spoke to Brunei's Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dato Erywan, on 4 April in order to express the UK's deep concern over Brunei's decision to implement the final phases of the Sharia Penal Code.<\/p> The Minister for Asia-Pacific delivered a statement to the House of Commons on 4 April addressing the UK position on the implications of Brunei's decision.<\/p> We have repeatedly lobbied Brunei about their plans to introduce hudud punishments. The Minister for Asia-Pacific raised this with the Sultan and Bruneian ministers during his visit to Brunei Darussalam in August 2018.<\/p> Commonwealth Heads of Government most recently met in the UK in April 2018. His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei Darussalam was present. A communique issued by the leaders included the most progressive language yet on LGBT rights, complimented by an historic speech from the Prime Minister. The UK strongly supports and defends the rights of the LGBT+ community globally. The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and all its forms. The UK upholds international human rights laws relating to torture, or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-04-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Brunei: Legal Systems"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking following Brunei\u2019s decision to introduce Sharia law, and the consequential use of amputation, whipping and stoning, along with other penalties, for non-compliant religious minorities, people in same sex relationships, or for adultery, theft or alcohol consumption.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"}
], "uin" : "HL14929"}
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I<\/del> Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon <\/ins>spoke to the Secretary General of the Commonwealth about the situation in Brunei on 4 April. The Secretary General is in contact with the Government of Brunei and is working through Commonwealth channels.<\/p>