| Hakim Hayat |
CONTINUOUS training for prosecutors and a strong legalisation framework are required to ensure that criminals behind crimes are brought to justice and to keep up with the various challenges posed by cybercrime in today’s global landscape, Attorney General of Brunei Darussalam Dato Paduka Haji Hairol Arni bin Haji Abdul Majid said.
In his closing remarks at the conclusion of the 11th China-ASEAN Prosecutors-General Conference hosted by Brunei Darussalam at The Rizqun International Hotel yesterday, the Attorney General said this year’s Conference convened under the theme, ‘Enhancing Capabilities and Cooperation in Addressing Cybercrime’ could not have been organised at a better and opportune time than now where the threat from cybercrime is multi-dimensional, targetting citizens, businesses and governments alike at a rapidly growing rate.
As the advances in technology moves far too quick for conventional law enforcement methods to keep pace, he said that conferences like this provided a vital opportunity for nations to agree on practical steps to improve cooperation and represents a substantial demonstration of regional cooperation and reiteration of ASEAN and China’s common interest to suppress cybercrime.
He highlighted the importance of continuous training and enhancing the expertise of prosecutors in the field of cybercrime to effectively analyse and prosecute cases related to cybercrimes. This, he said, is prevalent in this region as most jurisdictions have teams of prosecutors dedicated and trained to prosecute cybercriminals.
However, he said that specialised prosecutors alone cannot eradicate cybercriminals and legislation is another key to combating cybercrime.
“Throughout this conference, we have heard of the necessary legislative frameworks in place to investigate and prosecute cybercrimes. These laws are constantly reviewed and where required, are amended to ensure that we are not lagging behind the technological advancements,” he added.
“No matter what trends we see in cybercrime,” the Attorney General said that “our governments can do more to better understand and respond to the crime through cooperation”.
“We share a growing understanding of the difficulties faced in our jurisdictions against cybercrime and we need to work towards developing a well-coordinated response on an international level,” he said.
