‘Bar Council’s obtuse claim insults federal judges’

Gerard Lourdesamy: Obtuse – not able to think clearly or understand what is plain and obvious, or slow to understand. What is so offensive about that word?

The United States Supreme Court and the British House of Lords have been called worse. That does not make Bar Council chairperson Christopher Leong’s comment contemptuous.

The Bar Council is entitled to its opinion and views, unlike the Muslim Lawyers Association which time and again parrots the views of Umno, Perkasa and Isma.

The Federal Court has often tried to avoid deciding on constitutional issues involving Muslims and non-Muslims simply because it wants to avoid controversy and the bench sadly is dominated by judges who are clouded by their religious beliefs and the fear of being condemned by their own community.

Since it is difficult to get leave from the court in these circumstances, inter-religious disputes ought to be referred direct to the court by the Agong for its opinion under Article 130 of the constitution. Then at least the judges will be forced to make a decision.

Malaccan: Saying it was obtuse is an insult? What is obtuse if not actually a genteel word? For insult, Association of Muslim Lawyers (PPMM) president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar should see the filth that comes from Isma, Perkasa and so on.

Whereas when the IGP (inspector-general of police) ignored a court order, it did not warrant a peep from Zainul. One wonders about his perspectives and integrity as a lawyer. What say Zainul of Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin then?

In any event, why not just say it was contemptuous, which has a legal impact. Of course Zainul knows he can’t back that up in law. So why use the word ‘insult’ in the first place? It is just an emotive word designed to denigrate Leong and possibly raise him as an object of disdain by some.

Indeed, Zainul is being himself obtuse. This resembles the attacks by Zulkifli Nordin, another lawyer, who claims practically everything he didn’t like to be an insult to God and race.

It looks like we may be seeing a new sprout from the same root system in Zainul. And why did Zainul only raise it now when the statement was made last month? Another deflection from other issues?

Aries46: If the superior court’s function is merely to interpret laws according to its whims and fancies regardless of the adverse consequences on society, then why the need for courts and learned judges?

Laws are enacted for the protection of citizen and to maintain harmony among the people, not to cause conflicts, pit one against another, break up the children in favour of one parent and destroy legally constituted unions through interpreting laws based on vested interest.

If any law is found to be inadequate and likely to cause conflict, the judges must refer these to the legislators to be rectified rather than to blindly pronounce judgment regardless of its unfairness and abject cruelty to the victim.

ACR: Obtuse means ‘annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand’. It looks like it is the perfect word to describe many judgments.

Does not PPMM know about ‘Ignorantia juris non excusat’ i.e. ignorance of the law is no excuse for anyone including the lay public.

In such a situation, it is entirely possible for people to interpret the constitution better than judges who unashamedly decide based on their personal prejudices and leanings.

Waktamnoko: Of course, to the Bar Council any court ruling which were not to their liking would be branded as an ‘obtuse’ ruling. But has it ever occurred to them that their president too might be ‘obtuse’ himself when it comes to interpreting the law?

If the judiciary is in disarray, the Bar Council too should be blamed as they were lead by an opposition leaning lawyer. Or maybe they should just disband and register themselves as a new political party.

Bumiputhran: The construct of the English word ‘parent’ means a pair – father and mother. That is the putative intentions of the legislators.

A child cannot have more than one set of biological parent otherwise we would have to use plural as ‘parents’. It is a collective noun. These Malays don’t understand simple English.

Keturunan Malaysia: Zainul, you don’t have to be a lawyer to interpret the laws of this land ‘correctly’ the way many like you did. Any fool sitting on the throne of power can just do as good a job, if not better.

That’s the reason why I kept on saying that it is not as if we do not have enough laws in this land of ours, we simply and sorely lack good enough capable people to transparently dish out justice without fear or favour.

Anonymous_1389080833: This is another reason why the Sedition Act must be repealed. So long it is around, those who lack the intellectual content to debate an opposing view will use the threat of that Act to silence any opposing views.

Cry, My Beloved Country: A new meaning for sedition – whenever you disagree with or reject an opinion supported by the establishment, you commit sedition.

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