KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 – The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has set March 31 to make a decision on whether programmes and lectures attended by a former police investigating officer in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s second sodomy case qualifies him to be called to the Bar. Judicial Commissioner S. M. Komathy Suppiah set the date after lawyer Kenny Lai, who represented the Bar Council informed the court that he needed time to answer the arguments of the petitioner, Jude Blacious Pereira, in the case.
Earlier, M. Yunus Ali who represented Pereira informed the court that his client had completed several programmes totalling 13 hours organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), which exceeded the eight hours set by the High Court. He said this followed a lack of response by either the Bar Council or the Perak Bar on a letter they (Yunus and Pereira) had sent, requesting for a programme to enable Pereira to attend.
Lai argued that the Bar Council did not provide any specific programme for individuals. On December 17 last year, the High Court here ruled that Pereira be allowed to be called to the Bar, albeit three months from the date. Judicial Commissioner Lee Swee Seng in his judgment had said that during that period, the petitioner should attend some human rights seminars, forums, activities or programmes organised by the Bar Council’s human rights committee. – Bernama
