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Bar lauds CJ’s proposal to relieve AG as judicial division head
Published:  Jul 31, 2016 8:24 AM
Updated: 12:50 AM

Bar Council chairperson Steven Thiru has lauded Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria’s proposal to relieve the attorney-general as head of the Magistrates and Sessions courts judicial division.

However, he said it may require a constitutional amendment

“The CJ’s proposal would appear to require a constitutional amendment that would place Sessions Court judges and magistrates under the sole jurisdiction of the judiciary, and no longer under the Judicial and Legal Services Commission,” Thiru said in a statement today.

Arifin yesterday said a draft paper was being prepared to replace the AG with the chief registrar as head of the Magistrates and Sessions courts judicial division.

This, he said, is to avoid a negative perception of judicial freedom.

Thiru said the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, of which the AG is a member, currently decides on matters including promotions for magistrates and Sessions Court judges.

This, he said, may prompt some judges to side with the prosecution.

Thus, he said, Arifin’s proposal would remove any conflicts of interest.

“(It) will thus inspire more confidence in the decisions of Sessions Court judges and magistrates, whether or not they decide for the prosecution,” he said.

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