'One must consider the spirit of the law'


LEAD PIC, BLOW UP BIG AND PLACE ALONG RIGHT EDGE OF PAGE 21, FADE OUT LEFT SIDE OF PIC INTO THE TEXT: Legal eagle: Mohd Hishamudin believes that ‘the role of a judge is not to stick to the letter of the law, particularly in dealing with Constitutional law issues. One must consider the spirit of the law.’ – IBRAHIM MOHTAR/The Star

Whenever the Government had erred, I would advise the Government to concede to liability and to negotiate a settlement on the damages. In other words, I would give honest legal opinions without fear or favour, even when the Government was unhappy with the advice.

It is the same as when I became a judge. I decided each case on the merits and gave judgment accordingly, even if I had to rule against the Government. In quite a number of cases I had ruled against the Government.

The law is my passion. My normal lifestyle easily fits into what is expected of the life of a judge. But judges must be given more time to write grounds of judgment so that they can write grounds of judgment of quality.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Nation

Firms ink deal for Penang Hill cable car project
Behave during Kaamatan celebrations or pay compensation, visitors advised
Appeals court sets July 29 to hear appeal against acquittal of Bung Moktar, wife
KKB by-election: Nomination day preparations 90% complete
Your questions on the EPF account restructuring answered
Fuel station owner fined RM30,000 for selling RON95 to foreign-registered vehicle
Selangor Sultan attends religious ceremony at Lumut naval base
Man nabbed in KL for ramming car into another vehicle
Najib had a chance to defend himself when giving statement, MACC officer tells court
Stakeholders to take action on casino licence report, says Anwar

Others Also Read