FAC News - Saturday, April 19, 2003 8:20 AM

No hope for Anwar to receive justice: UN Special Rapporteur

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Mr Param Cumarasamy, said that the Chief Justice, Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, should explain why junior instead of senior judges were selected to hear Anwar Ibrahim’s appeal against his sodomy conviction and nine-year jail sentence.

“For reasons best known to whoever named the panel, the seniors were excluded,” said Mr Param.

“It is not certain whether it was the former Chief Justice, Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, or Ahmad Fairuz, the then Court of Appeal President, who is now the Chief Justice.”

“By right, it should be the President of the Court of Appeal.”

“The public have a right to know.”

“The present chief justice will empanel the Bench to hear Anwar’s final appeal to the Federal Court from the decision delivered today.”

“He has previously, as judge of the Court of Appeal, sat with two others and dismissed Anwar’s appeal to that court from the judgment of Justice S Augustine Paul in the first trial.”

“What hope has Anwar for justice in such circumstances?”