CJ has no issue being excluded from Bar social events

Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif has no issue with being excluded from the Malaysian Bar’s social events.

“I think there are not many social functions organised by the Bar.

“As far as I can remember, it is their annual dinner and then they have the Bench and Bar Games with Singapore.

“But I don’t know what they are going to call it after this, because it is the Bench and Bar Games,” he quipped during a press conference at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya today.

He was responding to a question about the Bar’s resolution not to invite him or the president of the Court of Appeal Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin to their social events.

Members of the Bar have also been encouraged to decline social invitations from them, according to the resolution which was passed at the Bar’s extraordinary general meeting on Thursday.

Md Raus said today that despite that, they will still invite the Bar for the opening of the Legal Year, an annual ceremony.

“Whether they want to come, it is up to them. We have no problems,” he said.

Bar president George Varughese had earlier said that they consider the opening of the Legal Year to be an official function in the legal calendar and would most likely still attend the event.

The Bar had also resolved that Md Raus and Zulkefli’s appointment as additional judges were unconstitutional.

The chief justice, however, has disagreed with that interpretation, conceding that while it is unprecedented, it is still constitutional.

“We respect their views. They have their own views on this but they also have to respect the views of the court because there are two views on this, on whether it is constitutional or otherwise.

“So they can file their case in court, and let the court decide who is right, (and) who is wrong,” he said.

The Bar had also said that they intend to file a legal challenge against Md Raus and Zulkefli’s appointments very soon.

Md Raus said that his next sitting is on Aug 16 and members of the Bar are welcome to come and watch him then.

“I will continue my work as chief justice. (It is) business as usual,” he said, when asked whether he would recuse himself from any panel if urged to do so.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) previously announced that with Md Raus and Zulkefli's appointment as additional judges, they would retain their existing offices for another three and two years respectively.

The PMO said the appointments of Md Raus and Zulkefli were based on the recommendation of then chief justice Arifin Zakaria who retired on March 31.

However, critics have questioned whether Arifin had the authority to recommend additional judges for periods past his retirement. - Mkini