CJ, explain appeal court’s speed in sodomy verdict
YOURSAY ‘But in other cases, you waited for long periods before deciding.’
Action awaits those who tarnish judiciary
Malaccan: Everyone in the establishment seems to issue threats and warnings lately. The judiciary must not engage in unnecessary public exchanges.
Its integrity is not kept when people are stopped from criticising court judgments but by winning the trust and confidence of the people through the soundness of these judgments.
People are critical because the people do not find them credible. To punish the people, would be to make disagreement a crime, when part of disagreeing is to voice it out.
No doubt contemptuous statements that scandalises the courts should be treated as such. But the chief justice cannot make equally sweeping threatening sound bites under the guise of protecting the court's integrity as there are many judicious and reasonable criticisms that are also being made.
The courts are repositories of good sound thinking and high legal discipline. But it would be wrong to think judges have a monopoly on it when a questioning public is equally the best defence of judicial integrity.
Versey: Many have agreed with the points raised by the former United States ambassador to Malaysia, John R Malott, in his article titled, ‘ The world, in unison, slams the Anwar verdict ’.
If the chief justice (CJ) feels that the court had delivered a fair and just judgment against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, can we suggest Mr CJ to write an open letter to rebut the points raised in that article which could be counted as a summary of the majority views of the general public?
Would it not be a far better means to convince the general public and to clear the image of the judiciary than to issue warnings to silence the public who disagree with the verdict discharged by the court?
Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are popular everywhere in the world, perhaps except North Korea.
Have we ever heard of the CJ of other countries complain that the dignity and integrity of their courts being tarnished by public criticisms via these social media and have to resort to issuing warnings against the disagreeing public?
Democrat: Okay CJ, please explain the speed in which the appellate court convicted Anwar just before the nomination for the Kajang by-election? The judges sat until 7pm.
But in other cases, you waited for long periods before deciding. And can the AG (attorney-general) also explain why they did not appeal against Abdul Razak Baginda’s acquittal?
Wg321: On Nov 7, 2008, former chief justice Zaki Azmi made the announcement that two retired judges were suspected to be corrupt but he took no action against them.
Does that meant he condoned corruption in the judiciary? Well, who undermined the credibility of the judiciary then? This information can be found in Wikipedia .
Later, a company linked to Zaki and Umno lawyer Hafarizam Harun have been given the concession for the Kinrara-Damansara Exchange (Kidex), a road project awarded by the government.
The award of the contract was made by the government just before the CJ retired. His wife, who apparently has no experience in business, is the shareholder of the company that is said to have been awarded the lucrative contract valued at RM2.2 billion.
Anonymous_3e79: Make the judges at the Federal Court declare their assets starting with the CJ and his/her immediate family. If it's clean then I might trust them.
Peacemaker: Judges are not above criticism, neither are they paragons of virtue. Criticism keeps them in touch with reality. Judges do not enjoy absolute immunity from criticism. See Stump vs Sparkman .
Chapati: Since the 15th century, the statue of Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold.
The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favour, regardless of identity, personal wealth, power, or weakness, blind justice and impartiality.
Swipenter: "Dissent" is a dirty word in Bolehland. No wonder the majority of Malaysians are seen to be an ungrateful lot to the minority government and all its appendages.
We are tired of lofty speeches when the reality is the opposite. Idealism must be cherished and carried out in deeds and words not just given lip service.
Ourvotesdecide: How and why the people had the impression, wrongly or rightly, that the Malaysian judiciary is not independent in the Anwar Ibrahim case should be investigated by a real independent neutral body from inside and outside Malaysia.
Ipohcrite: "The unwarranted criticisms have tarnished the judiciary institution" said the chief justice.
With all due respect, the judiciary was long tarnished before his statement. While the rakyat may have harboured hopes that the judiciary could be reformed, the latest judgment in Sodomy II has drawn worldwide criticism and confirmed the low depths that the judiciary has sunk to.
Try as you may, it is futile to fight against the court of public opinion. Cliched as it may sound, the chief justice should be reminded that "justice must not only be done, it must also be seen to be done."
Telestai!: How can one lose something that one hasn't got? How can we tarnish the poor reputation of someone? How can the rakyat stand by and watch the whole country going down the tubes?
How sad the situation when those whom we look up to defend and protect our rights have failed miserably. How did we end up in this rut? These are some of the pertinent questions we ask ourselves today.
This is the last straw. I'll observe indefinite abstinence from commenting in Malaysiakini to show my utter disgust with what is happening.
Surely the whole world can’t be wrong on Anwar
In era of social media, credibility must be earned
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