Brunei-Malaysia-Singapore judicial conference should expand

PUTRAJAYA: The Brunei-Malaysia-Singapore Joint Judicial Conference should expand to be a regional grouping that will include other Asian countries, especially Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong following its success.

Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria (pix) said, given Asia's dynamic growth pattern in the next few decades, the judiciaries in Asian countries should play their part in facilitating legal access between the jurisdictions.

"We (Asian judiciaries) can certainly contribute towards regional unity and comity by discussing and considering how cross-border enforcement of our region's national laws pertaining to commerce, transport, the environment and human rights, for example, may be enforced," he said in his opening address for the 4th Judicial Conference Brunei-Malaysia-Singapore at the Palace of Justice, here, today.

Arifin said the time was also right for the judiciaries of Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore to impart and exchange experiences on the bench by initiating visiting programmes for the judiciaries at all levels, from judges to judicial officers.

"Apart from strengthening our bond, this will afford a first-hand opportunity for the members of our individual judiciary to comprehend the workings and performance of our neighbouring judiciaries," he said.
Arifin added that since the inaugural conference in 2010 and the inclusion of Brunei in 2012, the number of delegates had increased while the array of topics discussed reflected the maturity of the conference.

The topics discussed at the joint conference this time were Judicial Recusal, Scientific Evidence and Expert Testimony, and Media and Criticism of Judges: How Should the Judiciary React?

A total of 92 judges and judicial officers from Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore attended the conference.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Singapore, Sundaresh Menon in his foreword of the conference programme book, said the topics chosen for discussion at this conference were timely as the court users were becoming more sophisticated and better informed or aware of their legal rights.

Chief Justice of Brunei, Datuk Seri Paduka Kifrawi Kifli said the exchange of views and ideas at the conference would serve to provide valuable knowledge and insight from such an esteemed pool of minds that in turn would hopefully translate into providing quality justice for all.

The objective of the one-day Joint Judicial Conference is to serve as a platform for the judiciaries of the three countries to exchange ideas and strengthen their already resilient bond as the law in all three jurisdictions take their roots from the common law. — Bernama