Chief Justice: Errant solicitors not tolerated

Fadley Faisal

Errant solicitors discovered responsible of misconduct shall be punished and any degradation of requirements isn’t acceptable mentioned Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong Wan Oon on the opening of the Authorized 12 months 2023 on the Supreme Court docket yesterday.

He underlined the necessity for a powerful message to be despatched by the authorized fraternity whereas emphasising the courtroom’s place on such misconduct. The chief justice spoke a few current case the place the dishonesty and deceit by the solicitor was so severe that he was disbarred.

The gathering of judiciary and the remainder of the authorized fraternity was held after a two-year absence resulting from COVID-19.

The gathering was welcomed with a guard of honour parade by the Royal Brunei Police Pressure (RBPF), which was inspected by the Chief Justice.

The occasion noticed an deal with by the Chief Justice after which replies from Lawyer Basic Dato Seri Paduka Haji Ahmad bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa and Brunei Darussalam Legislation Society President Haji Mansur bin Dato Paduka Dr Haji Latif representing members of the authorized fraternity in non-public observe.

Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong mentioned on-line listening to was adopted within the earlier years and it’s now a everlasting function of the courts with 3,542 circumstances carried out on-line between August 2021 and October 2022. He mentioned on-line listening to is right here to remain and reminded legislation practitioners to maintain abreast with digital applied sciences.

The Chief Justice mentioned the variety of civil attraction circumstances filed within the Court docket of Attraction elevated considerably, displaying the return of civil and industrial litigation following the easing of restrictions and re-opening of the economic system.

He added that 100 per cent of judgements for civil trials within the Excessive Court docket had been delivered between one to 3 months from the shut of submissions.

Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong mentioned the Subordinate Courts docketed 1,056 legal circumstances in 2022, a rise from the earlier yr’s 880, whereas legal circumstances on attraction to the Excessive Court docket from the Subordinate Courts additionally noticed a rise in the identical interval.

The Chief Justice mentioned the clearance price of legal trials within the Justice of the Peace’s Court docket stands at 76.8 per cent whereas 77 per cent of judgements had been delivered inside one to 3 months from the shut of submissions.

Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong mentioned the Legislation Society reported that 23 complaints had been heard by the Inquiry Committee between 2018 and 2022 the place three had been investigated by the Disciplinary Committee.

In the meantime, the occasion noticed attendance by Particular Advisor to His Majesty and Minister on the Prime Minister’s Workplace (PMO) Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Diraja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa bin Pehin Datu Perdana Manteri Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Ibrahim; Chief Syar’ie Decide Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar; Performing Minister on the Prime Minister’s Workplace Dato Seri Paduka Haji Sufian bin Haji Sabtu; and Deputy Minister (Civil Service Governance) on the PMO Dato Seri Paduka Mohd Riza bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yunos.

Ambassadors and excessive commissioners, senior authorities officers, members of the judiciary from the civil and Syariah courts, Lawyer Basic’s Chambers, Legislation Society and members of presidency enforcement companies had been additionally current on the gathering.