Karpal's daughter sues Chief Justice over late father's sedition case

Karpal's daughter, Sangeet Kaur Deo.

KUALA LUMPUR: Karpal Singh's daughter Sangeet Kaur Deo has sued the Chief Justice, seeking a declaration that he had failed to protect and defend the integrity of the judiciary with regard to her late father's sedition case. 

The originating summons was filed through law firm Messrs Karpal Singh & Co at the High Court registry on Monday (Jan 14).

The suit listed an unnamed Chief Justice as the sole respondent. 

Sangeet also claimed that the Chief Justice did not address the allegations made by a Court of Appeal judge who made the dissenting judgment in the M. Indira Gandhi case.

She is also seeking a declaration that she is entitled to have information regarding the internal probe conducted by the judiciary on the two cases.

Sangeet said all the three judges who sat in her father's appeal case two years ago are still serving as judges and hence they are bound by the Judges' Code Committee 2010 and the Judges' Code of Ethics 2009.

She alleged that the Chief Justice had failed in his statutory duty on the internal investigations into the two matters that amounted to judicial interference and in issuing a press release dated Nov 28 to suspend the probes.

Sangeet said that as a member of the Malaysian Bar and counsel for the appeal of her late father's sedition case, she was an affected person and had a legitimate expectation for an independent and impartial judiciary that was free from interference.

She also questioned the Chief Justice's move on Nov 28 last year that temporarily suspended the investigations and also the hearing of Karpal's appeal at the Federal Court and claimed that such actions amounted to bad faith and were bad in law.

In her supporting affidavit, Sangeet said that there have not been any developments with regards to these matters since Nov 28.

Sangeet had lodged a police report in August last year following revelations from lawyer Mohd Haniff Khatri Abdulla that an unnamed senior judge reportedly meddled in the majority decision to allow Karpal's appeal and acquit him of a sedition charge.

The senior judge allegedly told the judges hearing the appeal to change their decision.

Mohd Haniff made the allegation in a Facebook posting, adding that he would only reveal the source of his information when and if a Royal Commission of Inquiry is called or a tribunal is convened.

Karpal was initially acquitted of sedition, but on appeal by the prosecution at the Court of Appeal, his defence was ordered and he was subsequently found guilty and fined RM4,000 by the High Court.

The conviction was upheld by the appellate court in 2016, but the fine was reduced to RM1,800.