Lawyers to march for judicial independence this afternoon

The Malaysian Bar will be marching in Putrajaya this afternoon to protect judicial independence.

The “Walk to Safeguard Judicial Independence” will begin at 2pm, starting from the Palace of Justice and ending at the Prime Minister's Office, which is 2.6km away from the court complex.

They will be submitting a memorandum with four demands, namely filling top judicial vacancies, releasing minutes of a recent Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) meeting, forming a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to probe judicial interference, and addressing overall judicial vacancies.

Civil society groups and opposition politicians practising law are expected to be present in support of the rally.

Malaysiakini will be reporting live on location.

The walk comes amid deep concerns about judicial independence.

On Saturday, a leak of purported meeting minutes from a JAC meeting in May appeared to lend credence to allegations of judicial interference against a senior judge.

There are also concerns that the government is sidelining recommendations from the JAC - made when Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat was chief justice - to fill key judicial positions.

The government has sought to downplay concerns about the judiciary, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim insisting that he does not interfere with the courts.

Despite this, Anwar is expected to hold a meeting with Pakatan Harapan MPs regarding the judiciary this evening at his official residence in Putrajaya.

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