GEORGE TOWN: There is a resounding yes for reform in the judiciary.
THE appointment of an Umno lawyer to the Federal Court did not mean that the
independence of the judiciary has been compromised.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri
Mohamed Nazri Aziz yesterday said the pressure would be greater on Tan Sri Zaki
Tun Azmi to be independent and impartial.
“The burden is greater on him. The public will scrutinise his judgments because
of his past association with Umno.”
Nazri said Zaki fulfilled all requirements to be appointed to the bench.
“But to say that he will side with Umno is suggesting that he will not be
professional in discharging his duties,” he said when replying to points raised
by MPs debating Budget 2008.
Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) had argued that Zaki, who
was Umno’s top legal adviser, might be biased towards the government and Umno in
his judgments.
Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang claimed that Zaki’s appointment was the prelude
to him eventually becoming “Umno’s chief justice".
He also wanted to know whether Zaki had given up all his posts in the corporate
sector, alluding to press reports quoting the lawyer as saying that he was given
24 hours to decide on accepting the appointment.
Nazri dismissed the scenario painted by the opposition stalwarts. He said Zaki
was an ordinary member in Umno, who sat on the party’s disciplinary committee
but he did not hold any position.
He also said that he had to check with the relevant authorities whether Zaki had
given up all his positions in the corporate sector when he assumed the post.
On the independent panel investigating the V.K. Lingam tape, Nazri said the
panel should be allowed to finish its work.
A royal commission of inquiry, he said, would only be set up if the three-member
panel was to conclude that the video clip purportedly showing Lingam brokering
the appointment of judges was authentic.
Nazri reasoned it would be a waste of time to establish the commission only to
discover that the video clip was a fake.
“If the police and Anti-Corruption Agency investigate and the findings are not
favourable, the public will say the government is acting to protect people. So
the panel was formed. Let us wait for the outcome.”
Karpal pointed out that the ACA had said the tape would not be admissible in
court.
“If that is the case, what is the panel going to do?” he asked.
Nazri replied that the panel was not bound by what the ACA said.
“Let them decide. They will decide. They are not bound by anyone.”
While it was not known whether the panel’s findings would be made public, Nazri
said that he was going to make “a case for it to be made public".
2012 Bar Council Subscription Click the link above to download Circular 072/2012 pertaining to the 2012 Bar Council subscription, including the payment guide and a set of Frequently-Asked-Questions.
2012 Hotel Corporate Rates Attending seminars? Going for a holiday? Click on the link above to check out the list of hotel corporate rates for Members of the Bar, which is updated regularly.
Bar Council Bookshop Read MORE … but pay LE$$! Members enjoy a 20% discount on LexisNexis publications at the Bar Council Bookshop. Click on the link above for the list of available titles.
International Malaysia Law Conference (26 to 28 Sept 2012) Hurry up! The countdown continues and the current promotion rate ends 30 June 2012. Don't miss what is going to be the best conference in the region! On top of that, if you sign up with 5 or more people from the same organisation, we will give you a 10% group discount. Click on the link above to register.
Workshop on Financial Planning (18 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this workshop will take place at 10:00 am, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 18 May 2012 (Friday). The workshop will be conducted by Chooi Kim Ying. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on an Introduction to the Industrial Relations Act (23 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 23 May 2012 (Wednesday). The seminar will be conducted by Wong Keat Ching. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on Tax Issues in Financial Transactions (25 May 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar, featuring S Saravana Kumar, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Conference on Competition Law (31 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council with the support of LexisNexis, this conference will take place at 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, on 31 May 2012 (Thursday). For more details or to register, please contact Vilashini Vijayan (03-2050 2095; vila@malaysianbar.org.my). Click on the link above for more details.
News 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Circular No 102/2012: Mahkamah Sesyen/Majistret Kajang Moving to Kompleks Mahkamah Kajang
