At a time when public confidence in the independence of the Judiciary has taken a beating from one judicial crisis to another, and at a time when promised judicial reforms have yet to take place, the decision of the Learned High Court Judge in the habeas corpus application of Raja Petra Kamarudin gives us hope that our Judiciary has acted and will act with courage, integrity and independence when the liberty of an individual is threatened by the arbitrary use of power under the Internal Security Act 1960.
It is to the Judiciary that an individual turns for the protection of his rights against the might of the State, and it bodes well for the nation that the Judiciary has shown that it is prepared to hold the Executive accountable for any abuse of its powers.
Judges and Judicial Officers who uphold the Rule of Law, without regard to their own interests and without fear or favour, are true to their oaths of office and deserve our respect and admiration. We must ensure that they enjoy an environment that promotes such courage, integrity and independence.
Dato’ Ambiga Sreenevasan
President
Malaysian Bar
07/11/08
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