No fear or favour, CJ reminds judges

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 21 — Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria said today that judges must decide on the cases they are hearing without fear but based on the sovereignty of the law.

He said the dignity and integrity of the judges would be protected if they made decisions based on the principles of justice.

He said that the integrity of the judicial institution was at the highest level to ensure the effectiveness of the implementation of the country’s legal system.

“I wish to remind all judges and judicial officers not to be dazzled by the praises thrown at them and not to be angry at the criticisms made,” said Arifin (picture) in his speech at the oath-taking and appointment of two judges of the Court of Appeal, here.

He said it was normal that in any dispute in court there would be winners and losers together with praises and criticisms for each decision made.

Arifin said the objective of the judiciary was to emerge as the best judicial institution in the world.

At the same time, he wanted everyone involved to show their commitment towards disposing all the backlog cases so that all cases in the courts were current.

Arifin also disclosed that 6,500 cases at the Kuala Lumpur Original Commercial Courts (OCC) had been disposed of within three years since September 2009, and remaining cases numbering less than 100 cases currently.

The Original Commercial Courts had been closed down and the judges assigned to the court had been transferred to other courts.

Earlier, Arifin witnessed the oath taking by two High Court judges namely Datuk Mohamad Ariff Yusof, 63, and Mah Weng Kwai, 63, who were appointed as Appeals Court judges.

They both took their oaths before Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif.

Mohamad Ariff had served as a law lecturer at the University of Malaya from 1974 until 1985 and as an advocate and solicitor from 1985 until 2008.

 Meanwhile, Mah was a former president of the Bar Council for two terms in 2001/2002 and 2002/2003.

Earlier, Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee, who was present at the oath-taking ceremony, said the Malaysian Bar was extremely delighted that two of its former members were promoted to the Court of Appeal. — Bernama