Journal Malaysian Judiciary
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JOURNAL JOURNAL OF THE MALAYSIAN JUDICIARY MALAYSIAN THE OF JOURNAL OF THE MALAYSIAN JUDICIARY July 2017 Barcode July 2017 ISSN 0127-9270 JOURNAL OF THE MALAYSIAN JUDICIARY July 2017 JOURNAL OF THE MALAYSIAN JUDICIARY MODE OF CITATION Month [Year] JMJ page ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE Publication Secretary, Judicial Appointments Commission Level 5, Palace of Justice, Precinct 3, 62506 Putrajaya www.jac.gov.my Tel: 603-88803546 Fax: 603-88803549 2017 © Judicial Appointments Commission, Level 5, Palace of Justice, Precinct 3, 62506 Putrajaya, Malaysia. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any material form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication, without the written permission of the copyright holder, application for which should be addressed to the publisher. Such written permission must also be obtained before any part of this publication is stored in a retrieval system of any nature. Views expressed by contributors in this Journal are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Malaysian Judiciary, Judicial Appointments Commission or Malaysian Judicial Academy. Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this work is correct, the publisher, the editor, the contributors and the Academy disclaim all liability and responsibility for any error or omission in this publication, and in respect of anything or the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done by any person in reliance, whether wholly or partially, upon the whole or any part of the contents of this publication. ISSN 0127-9270 (bi-annually) Published by Judicial Appointments Commission Level 5, Palace of Justice, Precinct 3, 62506 Putrajaya, Malaysia. Editing, design and layout by for Arial Communications Sdn Bhd THE MALAYSIAN JUDICIAL Academy Chairman The Rt. Hon. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Md Raus bin Sharif Chief Justice MEMBers The Rt. Hon. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Zulkefli bin Ahmad Makinudin President of the Court of Appeal The Rt. Hon. Tan Sri Datuk Wira Ahmad bin Haji Maarop Chief Judge of Malaya The Rt. Hon. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Justice Tan Sri Datuk Zainun binti Ali Judge of the Federal Court Justice Tan Sri Azahar bin Mohamed Judge of the Federal Court Justice Tan Sri Zaharah binti Ibrahim Judge of the Federal Court Justice Dato’ Balia Yusof bin Haji Wahi Judge of the Federal Court Justice Dato’ Wira Aziah binti Ali Judge of the Federal Court Justice Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan Judge of the Court of Appeal Justice Datuk Dr. Badariah binti Sahamid Judge of the Court of Appeal Secretary Mr. Wan Khairilanwar bin Wan Muhammad Secretary, Judicial Appointments Commission PUBlication COMMITTEE OF THE Malaysian Judicial Academy ManaGING EDITOR Justice Tan Sri Datuk Zainun binti Ali Judge of the Federal Court MEMBers Justice Tan Sri Zaharah binti Ibrahim Judge of the Federal Court Justice Tan Sri Idrus bin Harun Judge of the Court of Appeal Justice Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan Judge of the Court of Appeal Justice Datuk Dr. Badariah binti Sahamid Judge of the Court of Appeal Mr. Wan Khairilanwar bin Wan Muhammad Secretary, Judicial Appointments Commission Secretary Ms. Suraiya binti Mustafa Kamal Judicial and Legal Officer ForeWord As this journal evolves, linear changes will take place. Certain ideas and concepts emerge as do their shape and visage. The cover for instance represents this new construct. This slim volume will be augmented in the coming months and a fuller account will hopefully be contained in the next publication. Justice Zainun Ali Managing Editor CONTENTS Judicial Review: The Malaysian Experience Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Md Raus bin Sharif ...............................................................1 Cross-Border Theft and Remedies: An Intellectual Property Perspective Tan Sri Ramly bin Haji Ali ................................................................................29 Judicial Recusal Tan Sri Idrus Harun ..........................................................................................46 Legal Professional Privilege Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan .............................................................................76 Judicial Interpretation of the Federal Constitution: An Originalism Perspective Dr Choo Kah Sing ........................................................................................135 Decommissioning of Oil and Gas Facilities in Malaysia: Law and Regulations Datin Faizah Jamaludin ...............................................................................144 Judicial Review: The Malaysian Experience by Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Md Raus bin Sharif* [1] In this paper, I will start by discussing the basic premise over which the philosophy of judicial review lies. Here, I will discuss the concept and the importance of judicial review in the broader legal context and provide some broad characterisation of the way in which issues arise in the decision-making process of public authorities in Malaysia. Secondly, I will discuss the scope of judicial review and its procedure under Malaysian laws. I will then share with you the approach by the Malaysian courts in this area of the law, i.e. the recent trends in the Judiciary in developing the boundary of issues falling within the scope of judicial review. Finally, I seek to draw some of these threads together to suggest how questions of the intensity of scrutiny may assist an understanding of the operation of judicial review in Malaysia. In this part, I endeavour to discuss the limitations placed on judicial review and the probable grounds on which judicial review cannot be invoked. Background [2] Before addressing the position of judicial review in Malaysia, it is important to first understand the meaning of the term judicial review. [3] Judicial review as defined in Halsbury Laws of Malaysia, Volume 9 (paragraph 160.059) is: … the process by which the High Court exercises its supervisory jurisdiction over the proceedings and decisions of inferior courts, tribunals, and other bodies or persons who carry out quasi-judicial functions or who are charged with the performance of public acts and duties. * The Right Honourable Chief Justice of Malaysia. This article is adapted from the author’s speech at the ILKAP Speaker Series 1/2017 on May 19, 2017 at Auditorium ILKAP, Institut Latihan Kehakiman dan Perundangan (ILKAP), Bangi. 2 Journal of the Malaysian Judiciary July [2017] JMJ [4] The expression judicial review may be taken to refer to the process by which the courts exercise their supervisory jurisdiction to see that public authorities do not act outside the remit of their powers. In other words, judicial review is a process whereby a court of law examines the conduct of a body to establish whether or not that body has acted lawfully, in the sense of acting within the scope of its lawful powers.1 In practice, this power of judicial supervision is administered by the High Court on other courts in the lower judicial hierarchy, as well as other public entities which are entrusted with the task of administering judicial or quasi-judicial functions.2 [5] For me, judicial review is the “backbone of administrative law and the most potent weapon available to an aggrieved individual to challenge the validity of the decision-making process of public authorities”.3 [6] Judicial review should be seen as providing an essential foundation for good governance under the rule of law. As a concept, judicial review has developed to ensure that public bodies which exercise law-making powers or adjudicatory powers are kept within the confines of the power conferred. [7] The growth of judicial review in our jurisdiction in recent years is consistent with what has happened in many common law jurisdictions. The courts continue to face many challenging issues in judicial review cases. Questions concerning individual rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and right to privacy, as well as those relating to property and economic interests often form the crux of judicial review applications.4 [8] The rationale behind the remedy of judicial review is to protect individuals against illegal acts of the administration by providing remedies/redressals for wrongs done to the individual. Courts are also duty bound to ensure that administrative bodies act lawfully and not 1 De Smith, Woolf and Jowell, Judicial Review of Administrative Action (London: Sweet & Maxwell, 1995), p 552. 2 Arjunan, Krishnan, “Judicial Review and Appellate Powers: Recent Trends in Hong Kong and Malaysia”, [2000] 2 MLJ lxx. 3 Ahmad Masum, “The Doctrine of Judicial Review: A Cornerstone of Good Governance in Malaysia”, [2010] 6 MLJ cxiv. 4 Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod and Anwarul Yaqin, “Reasons in Administrative Decision-Making: The Reach of Judicial Reviewability in Malaysia”, [2003] 4 MLJ xcvi. July [2017] JMJ Judicial Review: The Malaysian Experience 3 act unlawfully; and to ensure that the administrative bodies perform their public duties in accordance with law.5 Judicial review has then a dual role; to provide relief to the person who has challenged some particular administrative action, and to influence future administrative action.6 [9] His Royal Highness Al-Marhum Sultan Azlan Shah in stating the importance of judicial review in Pengarah Tanah dan Galian, Wilayah Persekutuan v Sri Lempah Enterprise Sdn Bhd7 said, “Every legal power