The Legislative Council (LegCo) is Brunei’s Parliament which acts as the official forum for airing and resolving issues or problems within the country. The Council was first established in 1959 and held a total of 32 meetings until it was frozen in 1984, after the country resumed Independence.
Brunei had no legislature until September 2004, when the LegCo was revived and continued to deal with internal issues and concerns until 2016. On August 11, 2016, the Department of Councils of State under the Prime Minister’s Office announced the dissolution of the LegCo.
On January 12, 2017, His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam commanded the reestablishment of LegCo with new members sworn in on March 1, 2017. The new members received attention for being predominantly young, placing emphasis on LegCo’s new angle of youth involvement, invoking optimism from the local community.
The 2017 Legislative Council session saw Brunei’s national budget lowered by BND300 million to BND5.3 billion for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.
Brunei’s legal system is unique as it implements the English Common Law and the Islam-ordained Syariah Law simultaneously to preside over the country’s residents. Both laws, overseen by the Supreme Court, coexist to administer a system that is well-rounded and fair towards the nation.
The Attorney General’s Chambers is responsible for overseeing the execution of the laws and enacting any amendments to existing acts. The Attorney General’s Chambers revise laws in line with changes of law pertaining to Intellectual Property Rights, Fisheries Boundaries, Consumer Rights and Syariah.
To ensure a thorough and meticulous implementation of the Syariah Law, a group of specialists spearheaded by Syar’ie Chief Justice oversee the process.
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