PETALING JAYA (Oct 20, 2011): The Bar Council today called for the disclosure of investigations into allegations of plagiarism by a Court of Appeal judge.
“The Bar is concerned that the lack of closure over the allegations of (the judge) plagiarising a judgment written by a Singapore judge in 2000, has led to the matter being raised once more,” its president, Lim Chee Wee, said in a statement.
“It is in the public’s interest that the authorities disclose the past investigation and, if it was inadequate, look into the allegation anew.”
Lim said plagiarism is a misconduct that violates the Judges’ Code of Ethics 2009, which states that a judge shall at all times act in a manner which promotes the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
The code also states a judge must not behave in any manner which brings disrepute to his office.
“Proper judicial conduct must be observed at all times, and judges must always maintain high standards of personal and judicial conduct and behave in a manner that preserves the dignity of their position,” he said.
Proper judicial conduct must be upheld at all times, failing which a thorough investigation must be conducted, said Lim who also raised concern over the reported conduct of Penang High Court judge Chan Jit Li, who had hugged a plaintiff after ruling in his favour.
Chan had, on Oct 8, ordered a bank manager to pay Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh RM2 million in compensation for a 2005 accident which left the DAP leader in a wheelchair.
She reportedly hugged Karpal afterward, and admitted she knew him personally.
Lim said such conduct raises questions of whether the judge should have recused herself from hearing the matter.
“Such actions give rise to the perception, in the public mind, that the judge may have a relationship with the plaintiff that influenced her judgment in the case before her.
“This may erode public confidence in the justice system,” said Lim, who called for thorough investigations into the plagiarism allegation against the Court of Appeal judge and into Chan’s reported conduct.
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.
Talk on Summary Judgement (25 May 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, this talk will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 25 May 2012 (Friday). The talk will be conducted by Ramesh Supramanian. 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.
Dialogue with Criminal Law Practitioners (26 May 2012) Organised by Bar Council, this dialogue will take place at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, at the Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 26 May 2012 (Saturday). 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.
Talk on What Clients Want (7 June 2012) Organised by the KL Bar Practitioners' Affairs Committee, the talk, presented by Ong Eu Jin, will take place at 5:00 pm, at the KL Bar Auditorium, on 7 June 2012 (Thursday). Click on the link above for more details.
4th LAWASIA Family Law Conference, Penang (13 and 14 July 2012) Supported by Penang Bar Committee and the Malaysian Bar, this conference, themed “The New Global Family: Emerging Trends and Challenges to Family Practice”, will take place at Traders Hotel, Penang, on 13 and 14 July 2012 (Friday and Saturday). Click on the link above for more details.
News 
©The Sun (Used by permission)
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Circular No 109/2012: Be a Part of the Bar Council Constitutional Law Committee
