The Malaysian Bar - A-G’s Chambers to set new fines

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A-G’s Chambers to set new fines

Thursday, 08 September 2011 09:20am

©The Star (Used by permission)
By M. MAGESWARI

KUALA LUMPUR: The suitable quantum of fines to be imposed on criminal offenders will soon be finalised by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

This followed the feedback by the Malaysian Bar on fines for the proposed review of the amended Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

Its president Lim Chee Wee said criminal offenders would end up being jailed if they failed to raise the higher fines imposed by courts for their offences.

“We gave our comments on the suitable quantum of fine to be imposed for criminal offenders,” he said in an interview.

This, he said, was among the feedback given on the four major provisions of the CPC during a recent meeting with the relevant parties.

The Bar Council's Criminal Law committee deputy chairperson Datuk Baljit Singh, who also attended the meeting, said the fines were suggested to reflect the country's changing economic climate.

On the other three provisions of the amended CPC, Lim said they concerned the admissibility of late disclosure of evidence during trial, plea bargaining and victim impact statements.

He said the Bar had also given its feedback on a major provision under the Evidence Act the admissibility of hearsay evidence by certification by a Deputy Public Prosecutor.

The Bar, he said, had given its feedback at a recent meeting attended by Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, the prosecution's criminal division head Datuk Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah, senior officials of the Attorney-General's Chambers, members of the Bar's Criminal Law committee and then senior Federal Court judge Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, who had been mandated by Chief Justice Tun Zaki Tun Azmi to handle the CPC amendments on behalf of the courts.

“The Malaysian Bar had a frank meeting with the A-G's Chambers on these proposed review and amendments.

“The A-G keeps an open mind, is reasonable and engages the Bar on most issues of relevance to the legal profession.

“The Chambers is now revising these amendments and we are waiting for the latest round of revisions,” he said.

In elaborating, Lim said the Bar was hoping to have a final round of discussion with the A-G's Chambers before the tabling in Parliament next month.

The Bar, he said, would hold a series of seminars to explain the amendments.

The Star reported previously that the CPC was amended last year to enable faster trials but the amendments had yet to come into force as the A-G's Chambers wanted further changes to it.

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