Latest news with #Azalina Othman Said
Free Malaysia Today
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Mechanisms to probe judges exist under constitution, says Azalina
Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said judicial independence is vital to maintaining public confidence in the justice system. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : The government today reminded all parties that the Federal Constitution outlines clear mechanisms for dealing with judicial misconduct amid concerns over judicial interference and integrity. Law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said Articles 125(3) and (4) empower the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to establish a special tribunal to investigate allegations of misconduct against judges, on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the chief justice. She said additional safeguards are provided under Article 125(3A), which allows the chief justice to refer breaches of ethics to the Judicial Ethics Committee, and Article 125(3B), which supports a written code of conduct, currently the Judges' Code of Ethics 2009. 'This framework ensures that the judiciary remains free from political or external influence, thereby upholding the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law,' Azalina said in a statement today. 'The executive and legislature have no power to interfere in issues of judicial ethics. This is essential to maintain public trust in the justice system.' Azalina said the government acknowledged the concerns raised by the Malaysian Bar during yesterday's judicial independence march and pledged to address them transparently and in accordance with the law. She said the Bar would be invited to contribute to an ongoing comparative study on judicial appointments, led by the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department, together with select committees from the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara. 'Furthermore, the concerns raised by the Malaysian Bar must be examined in accordance with the Federal Constitution, the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) Act 2009, and all other applicable laws,' she said. A document allegedly containing excerpts from a JAC meeting held in May went viral on social media last weekend, raising concerns from various parties. The extract of the purported minutes said that the former chief justice had raised concerns about the integrity of a candidate for an administrative post in the judiciary. Claims were made that the judge in question had once attempted to influence the outcome of a case in favour of a specific party, and had sought the transfer of a fellow judge for holding a differing view. Police are investigating the alleged leak of the JAC meeting minutes under the Official Secrets Act and two other laws.
South China Morning Post
20 hours ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Malaysia to seek lawyers' views as anger over judge selection process mounts
Malaysia 's government on Tuesday invited the Bar Council to take part in a review of the country's judicial appointment process, in a bid to quell public discontent over alleged executive interference that has thrown the judiciary into crisis. The move comes just a day after nearly 1,000 lawyers marched to the Prime Minister's Office demanding urgent reforms and greater transparency in the selection of judges amid a shortage at the top of the courts and warnings of further institutional erosion. The controversy stems from the retirement last week of Malaysia's two most senior judges – Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat and Court of Appeal President Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim – and the government's delay in naming successors. As nine more Federal Court judges are expected to step down by the end of the year, the judiciary could be stretched further with 31 vacancies across the country's courts, according to observers. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has come under pressure for allegedly delaying the appointment of judicial replacements and for reportedly backing a politically aligned and inexperienced candidate as chief justice, claims he has denied. On Tuesday, Law Minister Azalina Othman Said said the government was already conducting a comparative study on the current appointment system with the parliamentary select committee and would now include the Bar Council in the process. 'The government is always open to the views of all parties, including the Malaysian Bar, which will also be invited to participate in this study, to ensure a judicial appointment system that is more transparent, has integrity, and earns the people's trust,' she said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judicial reform in focus as Azalina leads comparative study with UK, Australia, India and Singapore
KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — Malaysia will now be looking at the way judges are appointed in four countries including the UK and Singapore, as part of efforts to consider how the country's judicial appointments system can be reformed. The Prime Minister's Department's Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) announced this following a preliminary discussion today between Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said with the heads of two parliamentary special select committees. 'Among other things, this discussion agreed to carry out preliminary comparative research about the approaches of the judicial appointment systems in several selected countries, namely the United Kingdom, India, Australia and Singapore. 'This preliminary comparative research will give a holistic understanding about the process of judicial appointments in countries with similar systems in order to enable Malaysia to make an evidence-based evaluation of the need for reforms and to adapt best practices according to national context. 'This research is also intended to evaluate an effective model for judicial appointments, identify best practices and recommend reforms that are appropriate for Malaysia's context as a constitutional monarchy and in line with the Federal Constitution,' BHEUU said in the statement. The statement said the Malaysian government through the BHEUU welcomes public feedback and the public's views about this matter. 'This inclusive approach is important to ensure each perspective is taken into account before the research outcome is tabled for the Cabinet's consideration. 'The government remains committed to strengthen public confidence by carrying out transparent and evidence-based reforms,' it concluded. Earlier in the statement, the BHEUU said Azalina's meeting was with the Dewan Negara's Special Select Committee on Law Review's chairman Rita Sarimah Patrick Insol and with the Dewan Rakyat's Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform's chairman MP William Leong Jee Keen. The BHEUU said the meeting was held in relation to public concern about reforms in Malaysia's judicial system to ensure the integrity of the judiciary in upholding the rule of law. BHEUU said both parliamentary committees' chairman had expressed concerns over the latest developments on the issue of judicial appointments and stressed the importance of more in-depth studies to ensure a more transparent and credible process of appointing judges. Currently, in Malaysia, the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) vets and selects candidates to be recommended to the prime minister. The prime minister can accept the recommendations or ask for alternative names from the JAC, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong would appoint judges on the prime minister's advice and after consulting with the Conference of Rulers. The Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law had in 2015 published a study on the best practices for appointing judges in the Commonwealth, with the report looking at 53 Commonwealth members including Malaysia. There are currently 56 countries in the Commonwealth, including India, Australia and Singapore. Recommended reading:JAC 101: The selection of Malaysia's judges, explained
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Judicial reform in focus as Azalina leads comparative study with UK, Australia, India and Singapore
KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — Malaysia will now be looking at the way judges are appointed in four countries including the UK and Singapore, as part of efforts to consider how the country's judicial appointments system can be reformed. The Prime Minister's Department's Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) announced this following a preliminary discussion today between Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said with the heads of two parliamentary special select committees. 'Among other things, this discussion agreed to carry out preliminary comparative research about the approaches of the judicial appointment systems in several selected countries, namely the United Kingdom, India, Australia and Singapore. 'This preliminary comparative research will give a holistic understanding about the process of judicial appointments in countries with similar systems in order to enable Malaysia to make an evidence-based evaluation of the need for reforms and to adapt best practices according to national context. 'This research is also intended to evaluate an effective model for judicial appointments, identify best practices and recommend reforms that are appropriate for Malaysia's context as a constitutional monarchy and in line with the Federal Constitution,' BHEUU said in the statement. The statement said the Malaysian government through the BHEUU welcomes public feedback and the public's views about this matter. 'This inclusive approach is important to ensure each perspective is taken into account before the research outcome is tabled for the Cabinet's consideration. 'The government remains committed to strengthen public confidence by carrying out transparent and evidence-based reforms,' it concluded. Earlier in the statement, the BHEUU said Azalina's meeting was with the Dewan Negara's Special Select Committee on Law Review's chairman Rita Sarimah Patrick Insol and with the Dewan Rakyat's Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform's chairman MP William Leong Jee Keen. The BHEUU said the meeting was held in relation to public concern about reforms in Malaysia's judicial system to ensure the integrity of the judiciary in upholding the rule of law. BHEUU said both parliamentary committees' chairman had expressed concerns over the latest developments on the issue of judicial appointments and stressed the importance of more in-depth studies to ensure a more transparent and credible process of appointing judges. Currently, in Malaysia, the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) vets and selects candidates to be recommended to the prime minister. The prime minister can accept the recommendations or ask for alternative names from the JAC, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong would appoint judges on the prime minister's advice and after consulting with the Conference of Rulers. The Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law had in 2015 published a study on the best practices for appointing judges in the Commonwealth, with the report looking at 53 Commonwealth members including Malaysia. There are currently 56 countries in the Commonwealth, including India, Australia and Singapore. Recommended reading: JAC 101: The selection of Malaysia's judges, explained
