CJ: Judges may be labelled 'conservative', 'liberal' over high-profile decisions

[superadmin]

CJ: Judges may be labelled 'conservative', 'liberal' over high-profile decisions in Malaysia, but being 'impartial' is the only label that matters

KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 1 — Judges should not waver from delivering decisions that are legally correct in high-profile court cases even if faced with the prospects of being labelled as a “conservative” or “liberal” judge, Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has said.

Tengku Maimun, who is the country’s top judge, instead said that judges should focus on delivering impartial decisions.

Speaking to newly-appointed judicial commissioners in a March 29 induction programme at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, Tengku Maimun said judges do not have the privilege of choosing which cases they want to hear and decide on, but would have to decide on all court cases that come before them.

In such a situation, Tengku Maimun said judges are bound to hear cases which attract public attention and which involve public figures, and that their decisions would likely often be met with strong reactions. 

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