A dialogue between the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple and Malaysian Judiciary was held on the 21 September 2013 (Saturday) at the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya. This programme was jointly organized by the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court and the Office of the Secretary, Judicial Appointments Commission.

The purpose of the dialogue was to facilitate the exchange of ideas between both the Malaysian Judiciary and the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple and to discuss the issues and problems faced by the judiciaries of both countries.

The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple was represented by 32 members led by Master Treasurer Mr. Christopher Symons QC. Also in the delegation were the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales - Lord Sir Igor Judge, Lord Justice of the Court of Appeal – Mr. Christopher Clarke and Judges of the High Court of England and Wales. There were 66 judges/judicial commissioners for the Malaysian Judiciary comprising the Chief Judge of Malaya, the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Judges of the Federal Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and Judicial Commissioners from around the Klang Valley.

The dialogue began with a welcome speech from the Rt. Hon. Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Zulkefli bin Ahmad Makinudin, Chief Judge of Malaya and was followed by a historical overview of the law and the Malaysian Judiciary by the Hon. Nallini Pathmanathan, High Court Judge, Kuala Lumpur. The Judiciary of England and Wales then went on to discuss the following matters:

(i) The Relationship between Judiciary and Press by Lord Sir Igor Judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales;

(ii) Judicial Life - Trials and Tribulations by Mr. Christopher Clarke, Lord Justice of the Court of Appeal; and

(iii) Challenges Facing the Judiciary Today by Sir Paul Jenkins KCB QC, Treasury Solicitor.

The Malaysian Judiciary was represented by the Rt. Hon. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum – Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak and the Hon. Dato’ Mohamad Ariff bin Md. Yusoff – Court of Appeal Judge, who shared their views on issues relating to the Malaysian Judiciary.The programme ended at 1.00pm after a question and answer session.