PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Bar went on a “Walk of Justice” here to seek the
setting up of a Royal Commission over the video clip showing a prominent lawyer
purportedly brokering the appointment of judges with a senior judge.
Shouting “Change, Change, Change” and carrying banners that read Bersihkan
Badan Kehakiman (Clean up the Judiciary), “No to Corruption” and Rakyat
Hakim Negara (The People are the Judge), more than 2,000 lawyers and activists
went on a 3.5km march here yesterday.
“When lawyers walk, something is wrong ... that means we would like to see
changes,” Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said.
The march began at the footsteps of the Palace of Justice just after noon and
ended 30 minutes later at the Dataran Putra roundabout.
As the crowds reached Dataran Putra at 12.45pm, heavy rain fell, sending them
scurrying for shelter.
The Bar's office bearers, including Ambiga, Ragunath Kesavan, Lim Chee Wee and
George Varughese then met with the Prime Minister's political secretary Datuk
Wan Farid Wan Salleh to hand him two memoranda.
One was for a Royal Commission to investigate the authenticity of the video clip
while the other was for the establishment of a permanent judicial appointment
commission for appointing judges.
Ambiga said Wan Farid gave an assurance that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
would look into the memorandum and that he would even arrange a meeting between
the Prime Minister and the Bar's office bearers.
Abdullah is currently in New York for the 62nd United Nations General Assembly.
On the Government's decision to set up a three-man special independent panel
headed by former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor to determine the
authenticity of the video clip, Ambiga said the setting up of a royal commission
would be preferable as it would have wider powers to compel evidence.
Asked whether she had faith in Haidar, Ambiga said all three members were of the
highest integrity. She also said that the Bar was ready to co-operate with the
panel in anyway necessary.
Ambiga said that six buses carrying about 200 Bar members were stopped at
Precinct 1 and prevented from heading towards the Palace of Justice.
Panel to get appointment letters on Thursday
KUALA LUMPUR: The three-man panel formed to determine the authenticity of a
controversial video clip implicating a senior lawyer brokering the appointments
of judges will receive their appointment letters today.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will present the letters to
them at his office in Putrajaya.
The three are former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor, who heads
the panel, National Service Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye and former
Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mahadev Shankar.
Haidar, when contacted yesterday, said the panel would get a clearer picture of
their scope of duties and powers after meeting Najib.
The panel’s terms of reference include conducting a full inquiry, analysing
evidence and making a conclusion on the video tape.
It is understood that the panel met informally yesterday.
The eight-minute video shows a man purported to be a senior lawyer talking on
his handphone with a Datuk who is alleged to be a senior judge.
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.
Talk on Intellectual Property Law (10 Feb 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, the talk on “Intellectual Property Law” will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 10 Feb 2012 (Friday). The talk will feature Bahari Yeow Tien Hong. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings (21 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, the seminar on “The Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings”, featuring Sanjeev Kumar Rasiah, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 21 Feb 2012 (Tuesday). Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Conveyancing (24 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar featuring Jeremiah R Gurusamy will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 24 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Mediation Skills Training Course (29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012) Organised by Bar Council, the Mediation Skills Training Course will take place at 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, at Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012 (Wednesday to Sunday). Deadline for registration and payment is 17 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Talk on “Land Fraud: An Australian Perspective” (13 Mar 2012) Organised by IGIL, GSGSG and UUM COLGIS, this free talk featuring Quintin George Rozario of Delta Law, Brisbane, Australia, will take place at 9:00 am, at Dewan Seminar A, Pusat Konvensyen, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, on 13 Mar 2012 (Tuesday). To RSVP, contact Mr Abutt (04-928 4397; abutt@uum.edu.my).
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Circular No 021/2012: Application to State Authority for Consent to Transfer Properties
