Focus on important matters in upcoming Judges Conference, says ex-CJ

Former chief justice Zaki Azmi says judges should concentrate on achieving a more efficient administration of justice.

PETALING JAYA: A former chief justice has voiced hope that the upcoming Judges Conference will be productive and prioritise substance over form in efforts to improve the judiciary and its service to the people.

Referring to the three-day conference, to be held from Friday, Zaki Azmi said participants should focus on important issues.

Zaki Azmi.

“During my time, we did not waste time on matters of form like mobile phones, smart tags, or the size and colour of lapels on ceremonial gowns for judges,” said Zaki, who led the judiciary from October 2008 to September 2011.

Instead, he said, judges were briefed on the latest updates on legal matters such as the law of contempt and mediation.

“(But) we don’t discuss any particular case or decision as that would be seen as interference,” he added.

Zaki said senior judges were also given the opportunity to share their experience with their colleagues, to improve the quality of justice provided by the judiciary.

More than 100 judges from the Federal Court, Court of Appeal and High Court in Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak are expected to attend this year’s annual Judges Conference, to be held at a hotel in Putrajaya.

Zaki, who is now chief justice of the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts, also urged the judiciary to work towards a more efficient administration of justice.

For example, he said, policies outlined in the past to reduce the backlog of cases and speed up the delivery of judgments should be stepped up.

“Life must be made easier for people who appear in court, like litigants, witnesses and lawyers,” he said.

He also referred to assessments of judges and their levels of efficiency.

“We were transparent about it, and the remedial steps produced results.

“Even the poor performers improved in their work,” he told FMT when asked what could be expected at the conference.

Zaki also expressed confidence that this year’s meeting, under the leadership of Chief Justice Richard Malanjum, would produce positive results.

“I copied some of his ideas like for the disposal and registration of cases before e-filing came into force,” he added.

He said Malanjum, who was chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak from 2006 until his elevation as top judge in July last year, was a chief justice “with a vision”.

“Unfortunately, this will be his first and last conference as chief justice as he will retire in April,” he said.

Former Malaysian Bar president Ragunath Kesavan meanwhile hoped this year’s conference would include discussions on the criteria used by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) when promoting judges.

“The chief justice, who is also JAC chairman, must explain to the judges since it is a closed-door meeting,” he said, adding that Malanjum should indicate whether the JAC intended to bring in outside talents to strengthen the bench, especially in the apex court.

This follows FMT’s report last month that seven of the 15 Federal Court judges would retire in rapid succession this year, leaving a vacuum on the bench.

Kesavan also acknowledged that Zaki had appointed more lawyers to the bench, and made improvements to the work culture of the judiciary such as by setting a time frame for the completion of trials and appeals.

Senior lawyer R Kengadharan said the top four administrators in the judiciary must emphasise the delivery of quality and timely judgments so that appeals could be heard without delay.

“They must also ensure that judges who are up for promotion or retirement do not have any arrears in judgments,” he said.

Kengadharan also hoped that the conference would address the lack of interpreters for languages other than Malay, which he said was a factor in the delay of proceedings. - FMT