Explained: Can a person be charged in a Malaysian hospital instead of a courtroom?

In Malaysia, an accused person can be charged or face trial while hospitalised instead of waiting for them to appear in court. This is possible due to various legal provisions that allow court proceedings to be held in non-traditional locations, such as hospital wards or other confined spaces. Senior criminal lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan explained that under Section 7 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), Section 15, and Section 15A of the Courts of Judicature Act (CJA), a court can hold proceedings in open or confined areas, including hospitals.

This can be done in "ordinary circumstances" but may be restricted to "in camera" sessions for reasons such as public safety or propriety. Furthermore, the Subordinate Courts Act grants magistrates and Sessions Court judges the power to declare any open space, including hospitals, as a court when there is a need to do so.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.