| Fadley Faisal & Aziz Idris |
THE Chief Justice has reminded the legal community in Brunei Darussalam of the importance of upholding the rule of law.
“The rule of law stands for the upholding of individual rights and freedoms while balancing them against society’s need to maintain law and order,” the Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli said, while delivering his speech at the inauguration ceremony of Legal Year 2018 at the Supreme Court of Brunei Darussalam yesterday.
Quoting from a law book, the Chief Justice underlined that independent lawyers are key towards achieving this balance and they will be able to play a crucial key role in defending human rights and fundamental freedoms at all times.
“The legal profession should always have a ‘social conscience’ and hold high standards and norms,” he said, reminding the legal profession to uphold honesty and integrity in carrying out responsibilities as judges, prosecutors and private practitioners.
Besides acknowledging the achievements of the judiciary, the Chief Justice highlighted prevalent issues in the system to enhance its services.
He commended the extensive involvement of a select team of judicial officers in the Ease of Doing Business Report 2018 which he said has identified reform efforts and improved regulation within the judiciary to advance Brunei’s distance to frontier (DTF) score for the second consecutive year.
The Chief Justice urged the judiciary to further harness technology to facilitate advocacy such as hearing cases for remand and bail applications from the prisons.
“Instead of ferrying inmates to and from court, a link should be established between the court, prosecutors, prisons and defence counsels so that inmates do not have to leave prison for court unless they absolutely have to,” the Chief Justice suggested.
He also called upon the legal community to gather to mark the Legal Year 2018, ponder on the past and exchange views with the Attorney General and private law practitioners.
The traditional event was also attended by Datin Seri Paduka Hajah Hayati binti Pehin Orang Kaya Shahbandar Dato Seri Paduka Haji Mohd Salleh, the Attorney General, On Hung Zheng, President of Law Society of Brunei Darussalam, the Chief Syar’ie Judge, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, Commissioner of Police, Cabinet Ministers and other officials from various ministries and departments, distinguished guests, members of the Diplomatic Corps and the legal community and representatives from various enforcement agencies.
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