Ex-Bar president among 15 made judicial commissioners
V Anbalagan
-November 27, 2019 7:00 AM
Former Malaysian Bar president George Varughese.PETALING JAYA: Former Malaysian Bar president George Varughese is among 15 people, including 10 lawyers, who have been appointed judicial commissioners (JCs), sources said.
Four are from the Judicial and Legal Services and one from the Industrial Court.
“This is the first time the bulk of the JCs have been chosen from among lawyers, including three from Sarawak,” the source told FMT.
The appointees from Sarawak are Khairil Azmi Mohamad Hasbie and Leonard David Shim, both ex-presidents of the Advocates Association of Sarawak, and another senior counsel, Wong Siong Tung.
From the services are Federal Court deputy chief registrar (policy) Aslam Zainuddin, Court of Appeal registrar Norsharidah Awang, Perak State Legal Adviser Rohana Abd Malek and Perak Court director-cum Sessions Court judge Julie Lack.
Industrial Court chairman Fredrick Indran X A Nicholas, a former magistrate and lawyer, is also on the list.
Lawyers from the peninsular who are on the list are Tee Geok Hock, Nadzarin Wok Nordin, Quay Chew Soon, Wong Hok Chong, Atan Mustaffa Yussof Ahmad and Anand Ponnudurai.
The source said the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) appeared to have taken heed of the call to nominate more lawyers in order to close the gulf between those coming from the Bar and the government.
There are about 21,500 lawyers from the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak compared with 2,000 government lawyers — deputy public prosecutors and the federal counsel — from the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
Meanwhile, a statement from the Federal Court’s Corporate Communication Unit said the 15 would take their oath of office before the chief judges of Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak on Thursday.
All will be on probation for at least two years before the JAC decides whether to confirm them as High Court judges.
