Latest news with #PublicProsecutor
LBCI
3 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Beirut Port blast judge questions top prosecutor
Judge Tarek Bitar, the lead investigator in the Beirut Port explosion case, questioned Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Khoury, on Friday. The session lasted about 15 minutes, after which Khoury returned to his office at the Justice Palace, according to the state-run National News Agency. The brief questioning is part of Bitar's ongoing probe into the 2020 blast, which killed more than 200 people and devastated large parts of the capital.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Johor man pleads guilty to robbing woman with machete in Kulai
JOHOR BARU, May 28 — A 45-year-old man admitted guilt in the Sessions Court here today to robbing a woman with a machete in Taman Dawani, Senai, Kulai last week. The accused, K. Murugan, pleaded guilty to the charge after it was read before Judge Datuk Che Wan Zaidi Che Wan Ibrahim. The court, however, deferred sentencing to tomorrow to allow the presentation of case materials during proceedings. According to the charge sheet, Murugan used a machete to rob Chen Chu Wen of a gold chain and two pendants. The incident occurred at the SK Senai bus stand along Jalan Bendahara in Taman Dawani, Senai, Kulai, at 8.30pm on May 23. The offence falls under Section 397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery, which carries a sentence of up to 14 years in prison and the possibility of a fine or caning upon conviction. Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Syafiqah Sha'ri led the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Why wait on separating offices of AG and PP — Hafiz Hassan
MAY 27 — Speaking at the launching ceremony of the AI Legal Justice Roadmap 2025-2026 & Peta Reformasi Institusi (PetaRI) on Thursday (May 22), Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the government was still studying and evaluating the proposed separation of the roles of the Attorney General (AG) and Public Prosecutor (PP). Let's quickly recall what has been said about separating the offices of the AG and PP. In December last year, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a special media conference that the Cabinet draft paper on the separation of powers between the AG and the PP was expected to be ready by the middle of this year. The prime minister further said that the proposed division of functions between the AG and PP had been accepted by the Cabinet, and a minister had been assigned to lead a task force to oversee the matter. About two weeks earlier, Azalina's deputy, M Kulasegaran had told Parliament that the government was targeting to separate the offices 'at the very least' by this year, with the Cabinet having agreed in August 2023 to commission an empirical study first, to be followed with an interim report which should be ready by March this year. 'We have the two-thirds (majority) and we can amend Article 145 (of the Federal Constitution), it's not a problem. But the empirical study must be done because to bring change it's usually easier said than done,' Kulasegaran said when replying to Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh). Attorney General of Malaysia Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar gives a thumb up ahead of a hearing in the Federal Court, Putrajaya March 24, 2025. — Picture by Choo Choy May Azalina herself had told the Special Chamber session in Parliament in June 2024 that the first phase of the empirical study would conclude after the research by the Special Task Force on Comparative Studies in the United Kingdom (UK) was completed. Azalina had said that the UK was the last country where Malaysia conducted an empirical study based on evidence-based research, after Canada and Australia. The empirical studies in Canada and in Australia were done from May 5 to 10 and from June 2 to 6 respectively. So it is mind boggling that Azalina should say last week that the government was still conducting the study while hoping that a decision on the separation of the offices would be able to be made before the next general election. More so when it was also disclosed that the study was conducted in collaboration with Universiti Malaya involving stakeholders which included the general public, law enforcement agencies, experts, and state governments. I had suggested in September 2023 that the Federal Constitution be amended by adding Article 145A for the appointment of a Director of Public Prosecution or simply Public Prosecutor with consequential amendments to Article 145 (on Attorney General). The government has two-thirds majority in Parliament to effect amendments to the Federal Constitution, as duly acknowledged by Kulasegaran. In any case, any proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution to create a separate office of a Public Prosecutor should receive bi-partisan support like the constitutional amendments on anti-party hopping (Article 49A). The proposed Article 145A (on Public Prosecutor) can read as follows: (1) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall, on the advice of the Prime Minister, appoint a person who is qualified to be a judge of the Federal Court to be the Public Prosecutor for the Federation. (2) It shall be the duty of the Public Prosecutor to discharge the functions conferred on him by or under this Constitution or any other written law. (3) The Public Prosecutor shall have power, exercisable at his discretion, to institute, conduct or discontinue any proceedings for an offence, other than proceedings before a Syariah court, a native court or a court-martial. (4) Federal law may confer on the Public Prosecutor power to determine the courts in which or the venue at which any proceedings which he has power under Clause (2) to institute shall be instituted or to which such proceedings shall be transferred. (5) In the performance of his duties the Public Prosecutor shall have the right of audience in, and shall take precedence over any other person appearing before, any court or tribunal in any proceedings for an offence in the Federation. (6) The Public Prosecutor shall hold office during the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and may at any time resign his office and shall receive such remuneration as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may determine. * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Malay Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Azalina: Decision on separating AG, public prosecutor roles expected before next GE
KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — The government is still studying and evaluating the proposed separation of the roles of the Attorney-General (AG) and Public Prosecutor (PP), said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. She expressed hope that a decision on the matter can be reached before the next general election. 'If you are a prosecutor, sometimes you end up serving in that role for many years, as it is a specialised scheme requiring specialised knowledge. 'So, under the MADANI government, we are conducting an empirical study and comparing our system with those of other countries to determine whether our prosecutors should be 100 per cent dedicated to prosecution work. 'We are still conducting the study, and I hope that before the next general election, the government will be able to decide on the separation of the AG's role as the government's legal advisor and as the PP,' she added. She was speaking at the launching ceremony of the AI Legal Justice Roadmap 2025-2026 & Peta Reformasi Institusi (PetaRI) here today. Azalina said the proposed separation of roles is a complex matter involving several technical considerations. 'We need to bring it to several committees first. Once a decision is made, we will forward it to the policy division,' said Azalina. — Bernama
RNZ News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Five guilty of hate crime for racist abuse of Vinicius Jr
Vinicius Jr of Real Madrid Photo: PHOTOSPORT Five people were handed prison sentences for racially abusing Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during a match in a landmark first ruling in Spain that condemned racist insults in a football stadium as a hate crime, LaLiga said on Wednesday (local time). In December 2022, Brazil international Vinicius appeared to be subjected to abuse in Real's 2-0 win away to Real Valladolid as he walked past fans after being substituted at the Jose Zorrilla stadium. The Provincial Court of Valladolid imposed on the five offenders a year in prison and fines ranging from 1080 euros (NZ$2000) to 1620 euros (NZ$3000). The prison sentences were suspended on condition that they do not commit any offence in the next three years, while they are also not allowed to attend any matches in the same period. "Thanks to the efforts of LaLiga, which filed the complaint and initially acted as the sole private prosecution - later joined by the player Vinicius and Real Madrid, as well as the Public Prosecutor's Office - this exemplary ruling has been achieved," LaLiga said in a statement. "This judicial decision represents an unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in sport in Spain, where, until now, rulings had addressed conduct against moral integrity with a racial aggravating factor. "The fact that this ruling explicitly refers to hate crimes associated with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football." Prison sentences of less than two years for non-violent crimes in Spain rarely require a defendant without previous convictions to serve jail time. In June last year, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for insulting Vinicius with "shouts, gestures and chants referring to the colour of his skin". In September, a fan who racially abused Vinicius and Villarreal player Samuel Chukwueze in two games at Mallorca in 2023 was found guilty and handed a suspended prison sentence. The aggressor had a 12-month sentence suspended after apologising in a letter to Vinicius and undergoing anti-discrimination training but was also banned from stadiums for three years. -Reuters
