Redefining Customary Law: Insights from Common Law System
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
In Malaysia, the custom is recognised as a source of law, whether in written or unwritten laws. Regarding unwritten law, Article 160 (2) of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia provides that customs are enforceable as long as they possess the force of law. However, there remains uncertainty regarding the extent to which the Federal Constitution recognises specific customs as law. Consequently, it is the responsibility of Malaysian courts to fill these gaps and determine whether a particular custom meets the requisite threshold to be acknowledged as customary law. To date, Malaysian courts have not established definitive criteria for determining this. Thus, this article seeks to address that gap by critically examining the criteria developed through judicial experience within the broader common law system for legitimising customs as valid sources of law and by comparing these criteria with the Malaysian legal framework. Ultimately, this study aims to contribute to a more transparent and coherent legal framework that better integrates customary law into Malaysian jurisprudence.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Ahmad, S. S. S. (2012). Introduction to the sources of law in Malaysia. International Journal of Legal Information, 40(1-2), 174-190. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0731126500006466
Alavi, H. (2018). What is compliant presentation under the law of documentary letters of credit? A critical analysis of Article 14 of the UCP 600. East-West Studies, 9, 35-47. https://doi.org/10.82533/ews.2018.9.104
Allen, C. K. (1927). Law in the making. Oxford University Press.
Allott, A. N. (1957). The judicial ascertainment of customary law in British Africa. Modern Law Review, 20(3), 244-263. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2230.1957.tb00442.x
Australian Law Reform Commission. (2014). Review of the Native Title Act 1993 (Issues Paper 45). https://www.alrc.gov.au/publication/review-of-the-native-title-act-1993-ip-45/
Bindra, N. S. (2016). Interpretation of statutes (12th ed.). LexisNexis.
Blackstone, W. (2005). Commentaries on the laws of England, book the first. Lonang Institute. https://lonang.com/library/reference/blackstone-commentaries-law-england/bla-003/ (Original work published 1765)
Bulan, R. (2019). The civil courts and determination of native customary land rights: Merely declaring or making laws? Borneo Research Journal, 13(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.22452/brj.vol13no1.1
Callies, D. (2006). How custom becomes law in England. In P. Orebech, F. Bosselman, J. Bjarup, D. Callies, M. Chanock, & H. Petersens (Eds.), The role of customary law in sustainable development (pp. 158-223). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511550621.006
Cameron, M. (2024). Where custom dictates: A comparison of the integration of customary law in Nigeria and South Africa as applicable to custody and family law disputes. Emory International Law Review, 38(1), 147-190. https://scholarlycommons.law.emory.edu/eilr/vol38/iss1/4
Coke, E. (1818). A systematic arrangement of Lord Coke's First Institute of the Laws of England (J. H. Thomas, Ed.; Vol. 1). Alexander Towar. (Original work published 1628-1644).
Corrin, C. J. (2002). Wisdom & worthy customs: Customary law in the South Pacific. Australian Law Reform Commission Reform Journal, 80, 31-36, 72. https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/journals/ALRCRefJl/2002/7.html
Cuskelly, K. (2011). Customs and constitutions: State recognition of customary law around the world. IUCN. https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/10144
Dorsett, S. (1997). 'Clear and plain intention': Extinguishment of native title in Australia and Canada post-Wik. Griffith Law Review, 6, 96-121. . https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/GriffLawRw/1997/4.html
Fang, L. Y. (2007). Naskah undang-undang Melaka: Suatu tinjuan. Sari, 25, 85-94. https://malaycivilization.com.my/items/show/160973
Garner, B. A. (Ed.). (2009). Black's Law Dictionary (9th ed.). Thomson Reuters.
George, J. P. (2025). Custom's pervasive role in law and the boundaries of positivism. Missouri Law Review, 89(4), 1147-1206. https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/mlr/vol89/iss4/6/
Gilbert, J. (2007). Historical Indigenous peoples' land claims: A comparative and international approach to the common law doctrine on Indigenous title. International & Comparative Law Quarterly, 56(3), 583-611. https://doi.org/10.1093/iclq/lei183
Hale, M. (1713). The history of the common law of England. https://historyofeconomicthought.mcmaster.ca/hale/common