A Lawyer's Diary (3)

I haven't been writing for a while. Rather, when I write, I find pleasure of writing about my son. Today, there is some complexity and confusion in my emotion. I am furious and yet relieved after reading of Justice Ian Chin's disclosure in open court.


"Perversion of justice". This is what I always read in judgments of English judges, those guadians of justice, when they condemn litigant's contemptous conduct. In no less harshness, our pre-Mahathir era judges, had repeatedly shown their disgust agaisnt executive interference. They displayed no tolerence to any attempt of interference of their independent exercise of judicial power. The legal practise of that time carried with it proud and dignity, so I heard from my fellow senior member of the Bar. You lose a case because of that case, not the judge.


The executive 30 years ago appreciate independence of judiciary is a pillar of our country. No matter how dissatisified they were to a decision, they accepted it with respect. "With respect", the words we lawyers always use when we try to differ from a judge's opinion. Then come a goreng pisang boy who then became our Prime Minister, who obviously did not understand the words "with respect". Rules of law stood in his path to realise his vision. He removed it. Independence of judiciary hinders his dictatorship. He crashed it. So here and now we have the New Malaysia. Are we in progress or regress?


Now lets await his defence, which I have no doubt would be a laughing stalk. His is immaterial. What is material is a charge. Let him face the Court which once he tried to destroy, and let the Court proves by convicting its destroyer that it has reborn.


Suddenly, I remember an English monarch called James I. How similar their fate be?