Bar Council's double standards on pardons for prisoners?
Like any other prisoner, pursuant to the constitution, Najib has the right to file a petition for pardon at any time after his jailing.
I read with dismay the Bar Council’s statement condemning jailed former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid for a royal pardon.
Firstly, it is no duty of the Bar Council to make comments on the application of a prisoner, no matter how prominent, for a royal pardon. It is a matter solely for the pardons board and the King. The Bar’s statement appears to be an improper attempt to pre-empt or influence their decision through the media.
Like any other prisoner, pursuant to the constitution, Najib has the right to file a petition for pardon at any time after his jailing. That the Bar Council itself has chosen to disrespect and subvert this process is shocking.
Secondly, the Bar Council disingenuously claims that other prominent prisoners such as Anwar Ibrahim served part of their sentences before being granted a pardon. However, the Bar strangely fails to point out that Anwar rushed to file a pardons petition within two weeks of his jailing on Feb 10, 2015.
Why didn’t the Bar Council then issue a similar statement opposing a grant of royal pardon to Anwar Ibrahim until he had served some part of his sentence? Having not done so, why issue such a statement in Najib’s case?
Surely this is blatant double standards and political bias on the part of the Bar Council. The concern for the administration of justice raised by the Bar in its statement appears to be pure pretence, hypocrisy and dishonesty.
The Bar Council is professional statutory body which has no business interfering in or taking sides in political matters, or to favour or be against particular political figures or political parties.
Going by the trend of statements such as these coming from the Bar Council, can anyone be blamed for regarding the Bar Council as being biased in favour of Pakatan Harapan and against Umno and Barisan Nasional?
Like any other prisoner, pursuant to the constitution, Najib has the right to file a petition for pardon at any time after his jailing.
I read with dismay the Bar Council’s statement condemning jailed former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid for a royal pardon.
Firstly, it is no duty of the Bar Council to make comments on the application of a prisoner, no matter how prominent, for a royal pardon. It is a matter solely for the pardons board and the King. The Bar’s statement appears to be an improper attempt to pre-empt or influence their decision through the media.
Like any other prisoner, pursuant to the constitution, Najib has the right to file a petition for pardon at any time after his jailing. That the Bar Council itself has chosen to disrespect and subvert this process is shocking.
Secondly, the Bar Council disingenuously claims that other prominent prisoners such as Anwar Ibrahim served part of their sentences before being granted a pardon. However, the Bar strangely fails to point out that Anwar rushed to file a pardons petition within two weeks of his jailing on Feb 10, 2015.
Why didn’t the Bar Council then issue a similar statement opposing a grant of royal pardon to Anwar Ibrahim until he had served some part of his sentence? Having not done so, why issue such a statement in Najib’s case?
Surely this is blatant double standards and political bias on the part of the Bar Council. The concern for the administration of justice raised by the Bar in its statement appears to be pure pretence, hypocrisy and dishonesty.
The Bar Council is professional statutory body which has no business interfering in or taking sides in political matters, or to favour or be against particular political figures or political parties.
Going by the trend of statements such as these coming from the Bar Council, can anyone be blamed for regarding the Bar Council as being biased in favour of Pakatan Harapan and against Umno and Barisan Nasional?
Unfortunately, I have to agree with the criticism of the Bar Council.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I think the Bar Council President forgot that members are lawyers and thus expected to be knowledgeable of the law. The President, Karen Cheah behaves as though the Bar Council is an NGO (like advocating for climate change)
As an aside, personally, I strongly believe the Agong will not grant that pardon seeing that Najib has other cases to answer for. The only thing is the time frame. I wish he (Agong) would decide fast.
I consider this as a serious misrepresentation of the Bar Council's statement.
ReplyDeleteThe Bar did NOT object to Najib's basic Iegal right to request for a Royal Pardon.
However, every case should be treated on its induvidu merits.
On the merits of this case , the Bar Council opined that it is NOT in the Public Interest for Najib to receive a Royal Pardon. And I fully agree.