PUTRAJAYA: Sarawakian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill can now have back her eight religious CDs which contained the word “Allah” as the Court of Appeal today upheld a High Court’s order for the Home Ministry to return the materials to the Christian woman.
Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, who chaired a three-member panel, ordered the Home Ministry to return the CDs to Jill within a month from today.
The panel, which also comprised Justices Datuk Seri Zakaria Sam and Datuk Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, unanimously dismissed the appeal brought by the Home Ministry and the government.
The court also partly allowed Bill’s cross-appeal and remitted the matter to the High Court, to be heard by another judge, to hear her application for a declaration on her rights under Article 8 and 11 of the Federal Constitution on freedom to practice one’s religion and equality before the law.
The CDs, bearing titles such as ‘Cara Hidup Dalam Kerajaan Allah’, ‘Hidup Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah’ and ‘Ibadah Yang Benar Dalam Kerajaan Allah’, were seized from Bill upon her arrival at the low cost terminal airport in Sepang On May 11, 2008.
On July 21, last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ordered the return of the CDs to Bill, but it (the court) did not grant the declaratory relief sought by her. -Bernama