[1] There are two appeals before us namely, Civil Appeal No: 01(i)-8-04- 2013(P) and Civil Appeal No: 01(i)-9-04-2013(P) against the decision of the Court of Appeal dated 12 January 2012 which allowed the respondent's appeal against the decision of the High Court dated 4 August 2010. This Court had on 25 March 2013 granted the appellants' leave to appeal on the following questions of law:

(i) whether the Civil or the Syariah Court has the jurisdiction to determine whether a person professes Islam or not; and

(ii) whether the Civil Court has the jurisdiction to determine the validity of the conversion to Islam of a minor.

[2] In this judgment, the appellant in Civil Appeal No: 01(i)-8-04-2013(P) will be referred to as the 2nd defendant, with the appellant in Civi