COMMENT | Time for another march for justice

“Lawyers don't walk every day. When lawyers walk, something is wrong.”

- Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan.

COMMENT | The Malaysian Bar’s press statement which makes a stand against judicial interference and in support of judges is to be welcomed but it may be time to show its resolve over the issue by organising another march for justice.

On Sept 26, 2007, the Malaysian Bar organised a march for justice in relation to the issue of a prominent lawyer, VK Lingam, attempting to fix the appointment of senior judges.

This involved, amongst others, the then Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim, then deputy minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, tycoon Vincent Tan and then former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The royal commission investigations made some damning conclusions in 2008.

Some 1,000 lawyers joined the march. The demonstrators marched from the court complex in Putrajaya to the Prime Minister's Office to demand that the government investigate accusations that the prominent lawyer had attempted to influence the appointment of a judge to a top post.

The Bar Council chairperson then, Ambiga Sreenevasan said: “We are walking for justice, we want judicial reform. Lawyers don't walk every day. When lawyers walk, something is wrong.”

She had added then that...