Chief Justice of Malaysia Arifin Zakaria supports the proposal by several quarters for the setting up of a sentencing council in the country.

He said it had been done in many countries because of its capability to enhance public confidence in the judiciary.

Several modules on the council, including from the United States, he said, were being studied for the purpose.

In a show of support for the proposed setting up of the council, Arifin said four judges participated in a dialogue organised by the Bar Council to discuss the matter.

“However, the decision depends on the government whether to set up the sentencing council or not,” he told reporters after meeting five students from the Faculty of Law, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya today.

In another development, Arifin said there had been an increase in civil cases filed at the Sessions Court since the lower courts were empowered to preside over civil claims amounting to RM250,000 to RM1 million.

Since it was gazetted last March 1, a total of 250 new cases were registered in the Sessions Courts in Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Penang and Johor Baru, he added.

 He said most of the cases were related to banking.

 In the transformation of the judicial body, Arifin said, two special courts for the construction industry had also been set up in Shah Alam and Kuala Lumpur.

He said cases relating to the building industry would be heard in the two courts after they were operational.

The meeting with the UiTM students were also attended by Court of Appeal President Md Raus Sharif, Chief Judge of Malaya Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin and Federal Court Judge Abdul Hamid Embong.

The five UiTM students would represent Malaysia at the international-level ‘Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court’ to be held in the United States of America on March 29.

- Bernama