Death by misadventure, court says of man’s fatal gunshot to the head

AMPANG, May 7 – The Coroner’s Court today ruled that Dinesh Dharmasena, who was shot to the head in an alleged “extra-judicial” killing by the police in 2012, had died of misadventure due to gunshot wounds.   Magistrate Noor Farahazwani Osman said her decision was based on the forensic team’s inability to identify the gun…

Court junks second Nik Nazmi assembly law charge

PETALING JAYA, May 6 — A Sessions Court granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad this afternoon, barely two hours after the Selangor lawmaker was charged with violating an assembly law — the same charge he was freed of recently.   Judge Yasmin Abdul Razak said the lower court…

Putrajaya targeting opposition with selective prosecution, lawyers say

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 ― Putrajaya is targeting the federal opposition by abusing court processes, human rights’ lawyers said as two Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers face the courts for separate offences today.   Seputeh DAP MP Teresa Kok is expected to be charged with sedition at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for her controversial Chinese…

Up to AG to decide on Selangor Bible case, say lawyers

The Attorney General (AG) must clarify whether the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) or its office bearers had committed any offences when the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) seized 300 copies of Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia and the Iban language early this year, a lawyers’s group said. Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen (pic,…

Retired judges should stay out of politics, say lawyers, ex-judge

Retired judges must refrain from making remarks of a political nature or get involved in politics as such conduct touched on their integrity, said lawyers and a former judge. They said unlike retired civil servants, the public still expected retired judges to have the traits of serving judges. Their response came following the revelation that…

Shafee has ‘too much baggage’ to be next AG, says lawyers group

Umno lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (pic) and Putrajaya will suffer from negative public perception if he is made the Attorney General, a lawyers group said. Lawyers for Liberty adviser and co-founder Eric Paulsen said Putrajaya should not even consider Shafee a candidate for the job as “he is carrying too much baggage”. “The…

Lawyers: Comango cannot be outlawed, Putrajaya playing to gallery

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — The Najib administration is pandering to Malay-Muslim hardliners with its surprise ban on a 54-member coalition of human right advocacy groups despite previously associating with it, lawyers have said. Three lawyers polled also insisted the government cannot arbitrarily outlaw a coalition under the Societies Act 1966, and must deal with…