Reman lebih 2 tahun sebelum bicara tidak adil, kata ketua hakim negara

Wan Ahmad Farid, the Chief Justice of Johor, expressed concern over defendants remaining in pre-trial detention for over two years before their cases are heard. Speaking at a recent banquet hosted by the Johor Baru Barat Judicial Association, the Chief Justice emphasized that the primary concern in any criminal case is the freedom of the accused.

He stated that it is unjust to force a defendant to wait for more than two years in pre-trial detention before their case is heard, as it leads to premature sentencing and should not be allowed to continue. Earlier this month, Sinar Harian reported that an Orang Asli man accused of murder was released after serving nine years in pre-trial detention, with his trial still pending.

Last June, the High Court in Kota Bharu released a driver who had been detained for over four years due to drug charges. The Chief Justice also expressed gratitude to the Attorney-General’s Department for positively responding to the representation made by the defendants' lawyers. He noted that such steps help reduce the burden of cases, decrease court workload, and save valuable judicial time.

Additionally, the Chief Justice announced that the government has agreed to establish a specialized Judicial Academy to provide continuous and intensive training for High Court judges. Through this academy, judges will be upgraded in skills and exposed to international best practices, aligning them with the best judicial bodies worldwide.

The Chief Justice emphasized the need to move away from the old approach relying on trial and error in building judicial expertise, and to ensure that every judge executing their duties at the court possesses in-depth and specialized knowledge required to uphold the honor of all parties involved. He stressed that by strengthening the quality of the judiciary, the responsibility of the court can be performed accurately and effectively.