The government will consider the proposal that only those with at least 15 years experience be given judicial appointments.

We will consider it when we receive the proposal. There is also another proposal to extend the tenure of judges by one year, which we are currently studying, said Minister in the Prime Ministers Department, Dr Rais Yatim.

Speaking after delivering his keynote address at a Bar Council forum on the setting up of a law commission, he told a press conference today that he has not received any proposal from the judiciary on the matter.

Federal Court Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah mooted the proposal in his Annual Lecture 2002 paper presented in Singapore Saturday and which was reported in The Star yesterday.

The present system which allows those with 10 years experience to be appointed as judges in the High Court was first introduced during the Federated Malay States era as a short-term measure to address the immediate shortage of judges following the countrys independence.

Dzaiddins rationale for the change was that a 10-year experience was inadequate and there was now a large pool of experienced lawyers among the 10,000-strong legal fraternity to meet the proposed criteria.