As UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, I wish to state that the three judges of the Federal Court in the Zainur Zakaria case have done the Malaysian judiciary proud. In their separate judgments they not only reiterated the independence of the judiciary but also asserted the importance of compliance with the principles of due process in a criminal trial and the important role of lawyers in the administration of justice.

It is a landmark judgment on the administration of justice in Malaysia and would remain a sound precedent for all trial courts to follow.

Independence of the judiciary is not measured by the number of cases the courts have decided in favour of the opposition and the number decided in favour of the government. It is how the general public perceives the independence of its judiciary which is the determining factor.

This Federal Court judgment will further instil public confidence in the judiciary in Malaysia.