The Bar Council refers to the decision of the Government to allow the appointment of women Syariah court judges. The decision is welcome for several reasons. Firstly, it signifies the positive position of the Executive on the issue of gender discrimination. Such discrimination is prohibited under the recently amended Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution. The Bar hopes that this is just one of many such decisions the Executive will make on the issue.
Secondly, the appointment of women syariah court judges addresses at least two key concerns about the syariah court process. The first, the backlog of cases, can only be resolved by expeditious handling of matters before the said courts which in turn is hinged on the number of available judges to try or hear matters. The appointment of women judges not only increases the number of judges but also widens the pool from which future judges can be appointed.
The second concern revolves around the perception of bias on the part of male judges who are seen as being more favourably disposed towards male litigants in divorce related matters before the said courts. The appointment of women judges is a first step in addressing this perception as the presence of women judges will allow the syariah judiciary to be more representative. The decisions of the women syariah judges will also go to building the corpus of syariah law and, where possible, establish the universality of the principles espoused while making the system itself more gender sensitive. This can only allow for higher levels of confidence in the syariah courts and this aspect of the administration of justice.
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.
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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Circular No 110/2012: Seminar on Introduction to ICC Arbitration: An Insight into the 2012 ICC Rules
