THE 17th Special Shari’ah Bar Examinations has been set on March 20 and 22 at the University of the Philippines Diliman, the Supreme Court announced.

In Shari’ah Bar Bulletin No. 1 issued by the Office of the Bar Confidant, the exams on March 20 will be Persons, Family Relation and Property from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, while Jurisprudence and Customary Laws will be covered at 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On March 22, the exams will be on Procedure in Shari’ah Courts in the morning, and Succession, Wills/Adjudication and Settlement of Estates in the afternoon.

There are 19 Shari’ah circuit courts operating out of 36 which have been organized, according to Raul Bautista Villanueva, officer-in-charge of the tribunal’s Office of the Court Administrator.

Villanueva said these courts are in Western and Central Mindanao.

The Sharia or Islamic law is applicable to those of the faith in the Philippines. Sharia courts are supervised by the high court.