KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 -- Kelantan is trying to bring back 16 provisions on Shariah criminal offences that were declared invalid by the Federal Court, but what happened before that?

The short answer about the 8-1 decision: The Federal Court sat as a nine-judge panel, with the majority or eight judges deciding that the 16 provisions in a Kelantan state law were unconstitutional and invalid as the state had no power to make these laws. Only one judge disagreed by saying the two Malaysian Muslim women who challenged the provisions did not even have legal standing to file the challenge in the first place.

But why and how did the Federal Court reach its decision in this case (commonly known as the 'Nik Elin' case)? Was it ever about religion...