Special Corruption Court takes over KL High Court cases from April 1
PETALING JAYA: All corruption cases which are registered in the Kuala Lumpur High Court will be heard in the Special Corruption Court from April 1.
“At present, all trials of cases involving corruption that are registered in the High Court of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, will be heard in the Special Corruption High Court, High Court of Malaya,” said Chief Judge of Malaya Datuk Seri Hashim Hamzah in a circular sighted by The Star.
As for corruption cases registered in other High Courts of Malaya, those cases will be tried in their respective High Courts where the cases were registered.
Corruption cases will be heard under the code 45R for corruption trials and 45R(A) for those cases involving public servants.
The circular also had an exemption and transitional provision, whereby cases that have yet to conclude which have been registered at any High Courts can proceed there.
“The establishment of the Special Corruption High Court, High Court of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, is intended to create a special court within the High Court of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, to hear cases involving corruption that are registered in the High Court of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
However, if there is a need in the future, the establishment of the Special Corruption High Court as a special court to hear corruption cases is also proposed to be expanded to other High Courts of Malaya,” he said.
He said the intention of the court is to monitor and ensure that the resolution of corruption cases can be carried out more efficiently and effectively.
“Through the establishment of this Special Corruption High Court, trials of corruption cases can also be given priority, thereby strengthening the administration of the justice system and reinforcing the judiciary’s efforts in supporting the government’s agenda to comprehensively combat corruption,” he said.
In an exclusive interview with The Star on Feb 22, Chief Justice Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said the judiciary is planning to implement the Special Corruption High Court in every state in future.
He said the current set up at the lower court level was yielding results, and there are plans to eventually establish at least one such High Court in every state, including Sabah and Sarawak.
On Feb 17, The Star broke a story about the appointment of Justice Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin as the Special Corruption High Court judge.
On Jan 20, the Federal Court’s Chief Registrar’s Office announced that the judiciary has established a Special Corruption High Court to hear corruption cases and appeals from the Special Corruption Sessions Courts.
This was in line with the decree of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, during the opening of the First Meeting of the Fifth Session of the 15th Parliament on Jan 19.
His Majesty had stressed the need for experienced judges and a dedicated pathway to ensure that corruption cases are resolved quickly.
