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©The Sunday Star (Used by permission)

PENANG: The proposed Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) must include several basic criteria to be effective in restoring public confidence in the judiciary, said Malaysian Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan.

She said the main stakeholders in the judicial system must be represented in the commission and the process of appointing and promoting judges should be transparent.

“In the past, people were being promoted over one another without clear guidelines and this promoted a culture of patronage and favouritism that created a very unhealthy atmosphere,” she said during a Penang Gerakan Teh Tarik Forum held last night.

Ambiga added that the doctrine of separation of powers must be upheld in the commission to ensure judges worked impartially and independently.

She added that discussions had already started on the make-up of the commission and the Bar had been asked for its suggestions.

“The Bar has submitted a basic draft of what we hope for from a commission last September.

“We are currently in the process of putting together a more detailed proposal,” Ambiga said.

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