Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif insisted today that the judiciary is independent, and challenged the media to ask former senior judges who served as lawyers if this was true.
When asked by a senior editor of an English daily about how the judiciary is often perceived by the public, Raus maintained that senior judges do not try to influence junior judges whether in the Magistrate, Sessions or the High Court.
“The independence of the judiciary is vital in any institution. We do not practice calling other judges, trying to influence their decisions.
“You ask (former judges) like Mah Weng Kwai (formerly Malaysian Bar president), Mohamad Ariff Mohd Yusof or Varghese George Varughese.
“They were all formerly lawyers from the Bar before becoming judges. We are independent.
“As the CJ, I told my brother, judges decide according to the law. They are independent to make their decisions. There will be no interference,” he said, adding that any party unsatisfied with the decision of a judge is free to make an appeal.
Raus also stressed the need for existing judges to undergo training conducted by senior judges to further improve the judiciary.
“I intend to concentrate on capacity building through continuous training of judges. Central to the administration of justice is the quality of our judges at all levels," he said, adding that cases are more complex today than they used to be.
"Now it has become an accepted feature of the judiciary and also imperative that judges must be of the highest possible standard,” he continued.
In this year alone, Raus said, 10 courses have been organised for 266 judges and judicial commissioners. These include courses on judgment writing, defamation, drug trafficking offences, judge craft, assessment of damages, and the handling of evidence.
He added the training is conducted on groups of not more than 25 judges, and is carried out during the weekends to avoid cases being adjourned.- Mkini
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