Bar Council to hold EGM over allegations of judicial intimidation

KUALA LUMPUR: The Bar Council will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to discuss the issue over recent allegations of judicial intimidation, says its president Karen Cheah Yee Lynn.

However, she said, the full details of the EGM will be finalised after the Aidilifitri period, and, the required statutory EGM notice will be issued to all members of the Bar accordingly by today (May 5).

"We hope to see the attendance of members of the Bar across the nation, including our past presidents, to express their thoughts on the issue and to vote on motions that would be significant to the future of our judiciary as an indispensable and crucial institution," said Cheah in a statement.

Cheah further said that the Bar Council also held another emergency meeting on last Friday to address the issue of allegations of judicial intimidation and it was collectively decided that an EGM will be called on an urgent basis under the Legal Profession Act 1976 to uphold the cause of justice without fear and or favour.

"The upcoming EGM will discuss the possible options available to the Malaysian Bar, as well as to ventilate and debate on motions tabled by the Bar Council, as well as any other motions which we may receive seven days prior to the EGM by members of the Bar," she said.

On April 27, Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, in her speech at the swearing-in ceremony of 17 judicial commissioners who were confirmed as High Court judges, said unsubstantiated accusations made against judges and the judiciary recently have really gone overboard.

She said although citizens including politicians were free to criticise the judiciary to a certain extent, it did not mean it was open to them including politicians to level unfounded and scurrilous attacks against the judiciary or a particular judge to further their own end.

Recently, Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali, who heard and convicted former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak concerning charges of misappropriation of SRC International Sdn Bhd funds had lodged a police report over news articles alleging that he was being investigated for unexplained money in his bank account.

A statement released by the Federal Court chief registrar's office on April 21 said Judge Mohd Nazlan denied the false, baseless and malicious allegations which aimed at undermining his credibility as a judge and disrupt the administration of criminal justice and the judiciary.

The judiciary had also lodged a police report with regard to the allegation that there was a conspiracy between Tengku Maimun and political leaders to speed up the trial and sentencing of Najib and former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

-- BERNAMA