Anwars corruption review fixed for Sept 6
Published: Aug 12, 2004 7:34 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim's review application on his corruption conviction has been set to be heard by a three-member Federal Court panel on Sept 6.
Jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim's review application on his corruption conviction has been set to be heard by a three-member Federal Court panel on Sept 6.
His lawyer Sankara Nair was informed of the date today by the Federal Court registry.
The matter was to be heard on Aug 10 but had to be postponed at the last minute due to a sudden death in the family of one of the judges scheduled to preside over the case.
On that day, Sankara had also asked the Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim for a five-member bench to hear the application, as was requested by Anwar.
Ahmad Fairuz had then told Sankara that a five-member bench was only possible in December as there will be a group of judges who are expected to be promoted to the Federal Court in November.
"However, after talking to Anwar about this, and taking his health situation into consideration, we felt that we are not in the position to wait till then," Sankara told malaysiakini today.
As such, he added, they had agreed to proceed with the three judges on Sept 6.
The judges slated to hear the matter are Court of Appeal president Abdul Malek Ahmad, Federal Court judges Siti Norma Yaakob and Allaudin Mohd Sherif.
Deteriorating health
Anwar filed the review application in August 2002, seeking leave from the Federal Court to review its own decision which upheld an April 14, 1999 Kuala Lumpur High Court verdict finding him guilty of corruption.
While there is no other avenue for appeal against a decision by the Federal Court, aggrieved parties can apply to the same court for a review of its own decision under a new panel of judges.
Anwar is presently being treated at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur after his slipped disc condition deteriorated. He has been declared to be medically unfit to attend his review hearing.
Anwar is also appealing against his nine-year jail sentence for a sodomy offence involving the former driver of his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The matter was set for decision on July 22 but was deferred indefinitely at the eleventh hour.
There is still no news on when the court would announced its decision.
His lawyer Sankara Nair was informed of the date today by the Federal Court registry.
The matter was to be heard on Aug 10 but had to be postponed at the last minute due to a sudden death in the family of one of the judges scheduled to preside over the case.
On that day, Sankara had also asked the Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim for a five-member bench to hear the application, as was requested by Anwar. Ahmad Fairuz had then told Sankara that a five-member bench was only possible in December as there will be a group of judges who are expected to be promoted to the Federal Court in November.
"However, after talking to Anwar about this, and taking his health situation into consideration, we felt that we are not in the position to wait till then," Sankara told malaysiakini today.
As such, he added, they had agreed to proceed with the three judges on Sept 6.
The judges slated to hear the matter are Court of Appeal president Abdul Malek Ahmad, Federal Court judges Siti Norma Yaakob and Allaudin Mohd Sherif.
Deteriorating health
Anwar filed the review application in August 2002, seeking leave from the Federal Court to review its own decision which upheld an April 14, 1999 Kuala Lumpur High Court verdict finding him guilty of corruption.
While there is no other avenue for appeal against a decision by the Federal Court, aggrieved parties can apply to the same court for a review of its own decision under a new panel of judges.
Anwar is presently being treated at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur after his slipped disc condition deteriorated. He has been declared to be medically unfit to attend his review hearing.
Anwar is also appealing against his nine-year jail sentence for a sodomy offence involving the former driver of his wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The matter was set for decision on July 22 but was deferred indefinitely at the eleventh hour.
There is still no news on when the court would announced its decision.
View Comments0