The Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) is a pan-Commonwealth professional association of lawyers and exists to maintain and promote an independent legal profession and the rule of law throughout the Commonwealth.
The CLA is very concerned by reports that five lawyers have been arrested in Malaysia following their visit to a police station for the sole purpose of representing their clients who had been arrested for illegal assembly. The CLA understands that the lawyers were denied access to their clients, detained overnight and subsequently released the next day without being given any reason for their arrest and detention.
The right to Counsel is recognised in Article 5(3) of the Malaysian Federal Constitution and is universally recognised as an important facet of the rule of law in all democratic societies.
The CLA supports the stand taken by the Malaysian Bar Council at its Extra-Ordinary General Meeting of 15th May 2009, where it condemned the arrest and detention of the lawyers as, inter-alia, an interference in the performance of their primary duties as lawyers.
The CLA calls upon the Government of Malaysia to respect the role of lawyers, as detailed in the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers (adopted in 1990) and the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (adopted in 1998), and to ensure that lawyers are able to access their clients without any hindrance and freely discharge their duties in the interest of effective administration of justice.
The CLA considers that it is imperative that a full and independent investigation into the matter be carried out as soon as possible and urges the Government of Malaysia to act accordingly. The CLA also urges the Government of Malaysia to reassure lawyers that they would be free to carry out their functions without Executive interference.
The CLA will continue to actively support the Malaysian Bar Council and the legal profession in Malaysia in their efforts to uphold the independence of the legal profession and respect for the rule of law.
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.
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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.
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