16 October 2014
The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) and the attorneys’ profession express their support for their colleagues in Malaysia who will be staging a peaceful public protest – the Walk for Peace and Freedom 2014 – against the use of the Sedition Act, 1948 today, Thursday 16 October in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
‘As the attorneys’ profession, we support our colleagues at the Malaysian Bar in their fight against the use and abuse of the Sedition Act to restrict and punish freedom of speech and expression in Malaysia,’ says LSSA Co–Chairperson, Ettienne Barnard.
He adds: ‘Because of its history, the legal profession in South Africa knows what it is like to operate in an environment of unlawful legislation designed to suppress opposition. The legal profession needs to unite in upholding the independence of the legal profession and respect for the rule of law.’
The LSSA supports the views expressed by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) – of which the LSSA is a member – that the sedition law introduced in Malaysia in the colonial era to combat communist terrorism, is unsuited for criminalising free speech and should not be used against lawyers expressing opinions on matters of legitimate public interest.
The LSSA joins the CLA in calling on the Government of Malaysia to respect the role of lawyers and urges it to recognise that there is an urgent need to repeal the Act. We also join the CLA in asking the Malaysian Government to reassure lawyers that they are free to carry out their functions without executive interference.
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE CO–CHAIRPERSONS OF THE LAW SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA, ETTIENNE BARNARD AND MAX BOQWANA