A High Court judge has recused himself from hearing a leave application for a judicial review by the Human Rights Party (HRP) to compel the Home Minister and the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to register HRP as a political party.

Judge Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim made the decision after HRP's lawyer P Uthayakumar made an application for the judge to recuse himself from presiding over the case.

Today, the court was set to hear the leave application filed by HRP against Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, ROS and the Federal Territory ROS to register HRP as a political party.

Uthayakumar told reporters he had made the request on the grounds that there was a likelihood of bias as the judge had overturned a decision in a criminal case in which Uthayakumar was one of the accused.

In that particular case, Justice Abang Iskandar, upon an appeal by the prosecution, had overturned the Klang Sessions Court’s ruling which had given Uthayakumar a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.

This is HRP’s second leave application for a judicial review asking the minister and ROS to register HRP as a political party.

The first attempt was dismissed by the High Court after the ROS, in a letter dated Aug 4, rejected HRP’s request.  

Uthayakumar said HRP filed the second application after the minister did not respond to HRP’s letter on the matter.

In the second application, filed on Oct 11, HRP sought an order to quash the presumed decision by the home minister to reject the application to register HRP and a mandamus order to compel the minister to register HRP as a political party.

- Bernama