PUTRAJAYA - The Malaysian Judiciary hosted the Seventh Brunei-Malaysia-Singapore Joint Judicial conference where judges and judicial officials from the three Asean countries attended the event.
The conference was held yesterday at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, according to a statement released today by the Office of the Chief Registrar Federal Court (PKPMP).
The conference was inaugurated with opening addresses by the Chief Justices from the three countries Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat (Malaysia), Dato’ Seri Paduka Steven Chong Wan Oon (Brunei Darussalam) and Sunderesh Menon (Singapore).
In her opening address, Tengku Maimun emphasised the synergy between the ongoing developments in the Asean Region and the principles laid out in the Asean Community Vision 2025.
She highlighted that across the Asean region, there has been a unified, purposeful movement towards enhancing the rights of accused persons.
According to PKPMP, Tengku Maimun also pointed out the evolution that was taking place within the sphere of criminal justice, evidencing a shift from traditional retributive justice towards a more inclusive and rehabilitative model of restorative justice.
Meanwhile, Chong in his opening address said the theme for the Joint Judicial Conference has put into perspective one of the principles of the 2008 Asean Charter, which is to "enhance the well-being and livelihood of the people of Asean by providing them with equitable access to opportunities for human development, social welfare, and justice.
Menon, in his opening address, said the conference was a valued platform for judiciaries to exchange ideas and perspectives on important topics of mutual interest.
The 7th Joint Judicial Conference was founded with the theme, "Criminal Justice System in Asean: Moving Towards A More Compassionate Society."
The panel discussions and moderation of the three sessions at the conference were undertaken by the judges and judicial officers from all three Asean judiciaries. - Bernama