Probe into alleged judicial interference

at the International Malaysia Law Conference on Aug 16, Justice Datuk Hamid Sultan Abu Backer revealed that he was reprimanded by a top judge for giving a dissenting judgment in the Indira Gandhi case in 2016.

On Aug 23, the daughter of the late Karpal Singh lodged a report following claims by a lawyer that a senior judge had meddled in the decision of the sedition appeal case involving her late father.

On Aug 31, a daily, quoting a statement by the Chief Justice’s Office, reported that an internal inquiry into the allegations had begun. According to the statement, “after the result of the internal investigation is received, the chief justice will take the appropriate action”.

Since an inquiry into alleged judicial interferences is being carried out, I would like an inquiry to be done to find out:

there was interference by any judge that had led Federal Court judge Rahmah Hussain to change her mind to give a dissenting judgment in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s first sodomy appeal in the Federal Court after she had initially agreed with my draft judgment; and,

there was any judge who wrote or assisted her in writing her dissenting judgment and, if there was, to identify the judge.

To avoid any likelihood of conflict of interests, Chief Justice Tan Sri Richard Malanjum should not be a member of this inquiry.