Dr K.H. Nadirsyah Hosen

Faculty of Law, University of Wollongong

Shariah & Constitutional Reform

~Book Launch and Discussion~

Time: 6pm-7pm, Friday 16 November 2007

Venue: Social Sciences Seminar room G202,

Ground Floor, Social Sciences Building (West), UWA

Dr Hosen will explore constitutional reform in Indonesia (1999-2002) from the perspective of shari'a. His book poses
the crucial question implicit in the amendments to the 1945 Constitution: can shari'a and democratic constitutionalism
be fused without compromising on human rights, the rule of law, and religious liberty? His discussion will also address
the contributions of Islamic political parties in Indonesia to the process and the outcome of the amendments, by
adopting a substantive shari'a approach, reflect the ability to deal with a modern Constitution without abandoning the
principles and the objectives of shari'a. The study reveals one possible picture of how Islam and constitutionalism can
co-exist in the same vision, not without risk of tension, but with the possibility of success.

Nadirsyah Hosen has a Bachelors degree (UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta), a Graduate Diploma in Islamic Studies, and
Master of Arts with Honours (University of New England), as well as a Master of Laws in Comparative Law (Northern
Territory University).

He completed his first PhD (Law) at the University of Wollongong and a second PhD (Islamic Law) at the National
University of Singapore. He then worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at TC. Beirne School of Law, University of
Queensland.

He is also adjunct fellow at Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance, at Griffith University. In June 2006,
he was a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore.