Should judges condone inequitable behaviour of counsel?

How far should lawyers go to win a case? And how long should judges refuse to sanction counsel’s egregious conduct? Advocates and solicitors ( ‘lawyer’ and ‘counsel’ are used interchangeably) always must exhibit the highest level of professional conduct. They must always uphold the dignity of the profession and the interest of justice. Towards opposing counsel they must show candour, courtesy and fairness. No one should deceive a court, or his or ...

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On the horns of a dilemma – will the Federal Court judges recuse themselves?

An unusual thing happened at the Federal Court on August 6, 2018.  There is a history to this.  You know it well. It concerns a company called 1MDB and the ex-PM Najib Razak. On March 23, 2016, Mahathir sued the then PM Najib Razak for ‘misfeasance in public office’. The High Court struck out the suit. The judge ruled that a prime minister was not a ‘public officer.  The Court of ...

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What is the most cunning strategy used by lawyers?

What is the most cunning strategy employed by lawyers? None. It is not your cunning that gets you through a case. It is not your brilliance. The Bar is full of brilliant lawyers. Yet they are not all uniformly successful. It is painful, excruciating preparation that gets you through. Here is a true life and death story: it concerned a foreigner. He was found guilty of drug trafficking and was sentenced to death. ...

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What is the most tedious aspect of being a lawyer?

What is the most tedious aspect of being a lawyer? The never-ending paperwork. Answering phone calls all hours of the day; especially if you are into international practice. Doing everything at the last minute because clients won’t give you what you want – that despite you asking them for the documents numerous times, and far ahead of time. Having to take the blame for the errors client’s executives make. Holding clients’ hands in times ...

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Malaysia mempunyai dua Ketua Hakim?

Malaysia mempunyai dua Ketua Hakim Negara? Dalam artikel bertarikh 13.07.2018, bekas Ketua Hakim Negara, Tun Abdul Hamid mengatakan bahawa daripada jam 9:30pm pada 11.07.2018 sehingga tengah malam pada 31.07.2018 Malaysia mempunyai dua Ketua Hakim. Adakah beliau betul dalam mengatakan sedemikan? Apabila Yang di-Pertuan Agong (‘YDPA’) menerima peletakan jawatan Ketua Hakim Negara (‘KHN’) dan Presiden Mahkamah Rayuan (‘PMR’) pada 08.06.2018, secara automatik peranan mereka sebagai KHN dan PMR tamat serta merta. YDPA tidak melanjutkan ...

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Bolehkah Seorang Hakim Meletakkan Jawatannya Dengan Satu Tarikh Terkemudian? Keanjalan Atau Keliatan

Artikel asal oleh: GK Ganesan Kasinathan; Penyunting: KN Geetha Terjemahan olehAlumni Fakulti Undang-Undang, UKM, SY Dharan Sharveen Ketua Hakim Negara, Hakim Mahkamah Persekutuan (‘KHN’) dan Presiden Mahkamah Rayuan (‘PMR’) masing-masing telah menyerahkan surat perletakkan jawatan pada 7 Jun 2018.  Yang DiPertuan Agong telah menerima surat tersebut pada hari berikutnya. Difahamkan mereka (KHN & PMR) telah menyatakan sesuatu yang sama dalam surat perletakan jawatan mereka iaitu menganjalkan tarikh perletakkan jawatan pada 31.7.2018 dengan alasan ...

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What are the Bozson and Salaman tests in law?

[March 7, 2017] No it has nothing to do with a salamander! The question is a simple one. The Bozson and Salaman Tests are straightforward. They refer to the two sides of the same coin. They concern two cases: Bozson v Altrincham Urban District Council [1903] 1 KB 547  and  Abd Salaman v Warner [1891] 1 QB 734. These two tests differentiate between a 'final order' and an 'interlocutory order'. Where a case has started, it may proceed ...

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Bolehkah Senator dipecat?

Artikel asal oleh: GK Ganesan Kasinathan; Penyunting: KN Geetha Terjemahan olehAlumni Fakulti Undang-Undang, UKM, SY Dharan Sharveen   Bolehkah Senator dipecat? Jawapannya ‘boleh’ dan ‘tidak boleh’. Orang yang mengatakan ‘tidak’ sebenarnya merujuk Artikel 45(3) Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang menyatakan tempoh ahli Dewan Negara tidaklah tersentuh dengan pembubaran Parlimen. Seseorang Senator boleh dilantik sebanyak 2 kali dan tempoh perkhidmatan digandakan iaitu 6 tahun. Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi menyatakan bahawa Senator dibawah naungan Perlembagaan sebelum ini tidak mempunyai kewajipan ...

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