Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria said the Attorney-General (AG) should be relieved from heading the judicial division of the Magistrate and Session’s Court.
He said the Chief Registrar should instead be in charge of this division to allow a smooth and proper judgment when delivering verdicts in both courts.
“In my opinion it is unwise for the AG to head the judicial and legal services of the Sessions Court and Magistrate as this is the current state.
“It would be difficult to pass judgment when or if the prosecutor is a senior officer from the AG’s office or the AG himself. It is like passing judgment against your boss.
“Therefore a paper to make this changes has already been drafted by the Chief Registrar and it should be finalised by end of the year,” Arifin told a news conference.
He was speaking to reporters after opening the Judicial Officers Conference here.
Should the AG continues to head both, the judicial and legal services in both courts, Arifin said it could lead to negative perceptions on the freedom of judges.
“My suggestion is that let the chief registrar head the judicial division and allow the AG to handle the legal division,” he said.
Arifin said the federal courts conducted a similar practice and that in reality, the judicial service fell under the management and coordination of the chief registrar of the country.
Source -Malay Mail Online-
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