PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court reserved judgment in an action by three transgenders against a Negri Sembilan anti-crossdressing law on a technicality.
A five-man panel headed by Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif ruled that a decision would be delivered on a date yet to be fixed.
Earlier the panel had heard arguments from lawyer Tan Sri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah that the trio's legal action against Section 66 of the Syariah Criminal (Negri Sembilan) Enactment 1992 was invalid due to it being filed as a judicial review.
Shafee had argued that judicial review was a wrong mode to initiate the action as it could only be used to challenge decisions of bodies or authorities, not a state enactment.
Shafee also acted for co-appellants Negri Sembilan's Islamic Affairs Department, its director, its Syariah chief enforcement chief and its Syarie prosecutor.
Counsel Aston Paiva acted for the respondents who are bridal assistants Muhamad Juzaili Mohd Khamis, 26, Shukor Jani, 28, and Wan Fairol Wan Ismail, 30.
In Nov 7 last year, the Court of Appeal delivered a landmark judgment favouring the three respondents who challenged Section 66 on grounds of unconstitutionality.