Judiciary gets US training to better handle modern crimes

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Judiciary has been receiving training from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in handling modern crimes, says Tan Sri Richard Malanjum.

The Chief Justice said the DOJ was very active in exposing and training Malaysian judges and judicial officers on how to handle cases of money laundering, crypto currencies fraud, terrorism and human trafficking.

The training by the DOJ started last year.

“The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is another international organisation which has been very helpful to our Judiciary especially in handling public interest litigation.

The training takes time to mature. We must remember that Putrajaya was not built in one day,” Malanjum said in his speech at the Opening of the Legal Year 2019 at a hotel here yesterday.

As part of the training for judges, he said the Judiciary is currently in talks to bring in experienced judges from the United Kingdom to share their experiences in effective case management.

“We are also in serious discussion with the Singapore Judiciary in knowledge-sharing programme.

“In March there will be one programme being organised with the help of the Singapore Judiciary,” he added.

Malanjum also spoke on the negative perception by the public on the courts.

“One of the reasons is that our decisions at times are not in tune with public feelings or the will of the majority.

“Our response to this is a request for understanding on the functions of the courts.

“Our court is a court of law and not of the mob,” he said.

The judges, he said, had made a solemn declaration to uphold the rule of law and practice zero tolerance to any form of corruption and judicial interference in the execution of their judicial duties.

The judges were also encouraged to consider imposing community services instead of imprisonment to offenders in appropriate cases.

In this way not only will it better rehabilitate the offenders, it is also a costs-saving solution for the prison, he said.

At a press conference later, Malanjum clarified that opting for community service as punishments for minor offences instead of prison time would help reduce congestion in prisons.

Malanjum said there was such a provision provided for in the Penal Code.

"The move has been implemented in Sabah where I feel it is successful. They (offenders) would wear the (prison) attire while doing community service.

"As they faced the public (while doing community service), they will then be ashamed, rather than be spending one or two weeks in prison," he told reporters.