Islamic criminal law in Aceh sharia courts hear and rule on both civil cases under Islamic law (such as divorce and inheritance) and criminal law under the "qanuns". However, civil cases continue to be the vast majority of cases heard by the court. In 2016 the courts received 10,888 first instance civil cases and 131 appeals, compared to 324 first instance criminal cases and 15 appeals. The sharia courts are part of the broader Indonesian legal system. Their decisions can be appealed to the Supreme Court, and their judges (including the chief judge) are appointed by the Supreme Court. Amnesty International said that they are
Sharia Sharia Sharia (), Sharia law, or Islamic law ( ) is a religious law forming part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam, particularly the Quran and the Hadith. In Arabic, the term "sharīʿah" refers to God's immutable divine law and is contrasted with "fiqh", which refers to its human scholarly interpretations. It has been described as "one of the major intellectual achievements of Islam" and its importance in Islam has been compared to that of theology in Christianity. The manner of its application in modern times has been a subject of dispute between