PHNOM PENH (Bernama): Malaysia and Cambodia have agreed to enhance their bilateral judicial cooperation, strengthen capacity building, and facilitate the exchange of best practices.
The commitment was reaffirmed during Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat's courtesy call on Chiv Keng, President of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Asean Law Association (ALA) Cambodia National Committee in Phnom Penh.
Justice Tengku Maimun, who is also the president of the ALA, led a delegation to the Kingdom from April 24 to 26.
This visit aims to foster judicial cooperation, promote legal understanding and deepen institutional ties among Asean member states, said a statement issued by the Office of the Chief Registrar, Federal Court of Malaysia, Palace of Justice Putrajaya, on Friday.
"A key focus of the discussion was on judicial digitalisation.
"The Cambodian Judiciary expressed a keen interest in sending judges and technical personnel to Malaysia to gain insights from the Malaysian Judiciary's digital transformation initiatives.
"The Chief Justice of Malaysia welcomed this initiative and proposed to facilitate the visit through the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court,” the statement stated.
During the meeting, both Chief Justices exchanged insights on the structure, jurisdiction, and challenges of their respective judicial systems.
Emphasis was placed on the importance of judicial transparency, protecting national security and maintaining public trust in the courts, said the statement.
Discussions between both parties also focused on the upcoming ALA Governing Council Meeting (GCM) 2025, which is scheduled to be held in Singapore, as well as the hosting challenges faced by member jurisdictions.
At the meeting, ALA Cambodia expressed its strong support for the GCM and indicated its willingness to consider hosting a future meeting, potentially in 2027.
"ALA Cambodia also pledged its support for the proposal by the President of ALA for the establishment of the Standing Committee on Equitable Access to Justice and Legal Pro Bono Services,” said the statement.
The courtesy visit concluded with a mutual reaffirmation of ALA’s mission to strengthen the rule of law and access to justice across the region. - Bernama
