Section 7A
Sitting of Syariah Courts
(1)
The Chief Syar’ie Judge may appoint such places as he thinks fit as Court houses for the Syariah Courts.
(2)
Any place in which a Syariah Court is held is deemed to be an open Court to which the public generally may have access:
Provided that —
(a)
a Syariah Court shall have power to hear any proceeding or any part thereof in camera if the Court is satisfied that it is expedient in the interests of justice, public security or propriety or for any other sufficient reason to do so;
(b)
a Syariah Court shall ordinarily exclude a witness until he has given evidence in proceedings where the Court is exercising a criminal jurisdiction.
(3)
A Syariah Court may at any time order that no person shall publish the name, address or photograph of any witness in any proceeding or any evidence or any other thing liable to lead to the identification of any such witness; and any person who acts in contravention of any such order shall, notwithstanding any other written law, be liable to a fine not exceeeding
$5,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.