Southeast Asian Legal Research Guide: Introduction to Brunei & its Legal System

Brunei’s legal system is based on British common law, with a parallel Syariah law system for Muslims, which supersedes the common law system in areas such as family and property law. In 2014 Brunei became the first Southeast Asian country to adopt strict Syariah criminal law that applies to both Muslims and non-Muslims, with the enactment of the Syariah Penal Code Order 2013 (not all provisions apply to non-Muslims, but s 3(1) of the Order states that unless otherwise expressly provided, the Order applies to Muslims and non-Muslims).