Should protests at courts be controlled?

Should protests at courts be controlled? Justice is the throbbing heart of democracy. As any diligent reader of scripture will tell you, justice also lies at the very core of religious and moral teachings. Courts of law, therefore, are temples of justice—unless they are tainted by serving the ungodly and unholy, as some retired judges have recently warned. This danger is well understood by the current Prime Minister, who himself was imprisoned on trumped-up charges. Despite this, no litigant should intimidate a court by inviting public pressure on its servants. The Growing Spectacle Unfortunately, public displays of support or resentment have become all too common. Malaysian politics is largely to blame for this troubling trend. Anwar Ibrahim’s trial saw his supporters thronging the court, believing their numbers could influence the outcome. It did not. Former prime minister Dato Seri Najib’s supporters confronted the then-Attorney General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas as he gave a press statement within the court complex. That, too, achieved little. And now, the same tactics are being repeated. The Impact on Courts When supporters – or detractors – of politicians besiege the solemn precincts of the court, several problems arise: Judges and court staff become unsettled. Such intrusions disrupt their focus and ability to administer justice impartially. The dignity of legal proceedings is upset. Courts operate with quiet dignity and solemnity, which these displays undermine. A Call for Action This issue seems to have entirely escaped the attention of right-thinking members of society. Will the Government step in to address this growing problem? Acknowledgements MUSIC Music: Suspense Trailer Intro ID: 9NGRH5T Author Username: GreenRocketAudio Licensee: A Samad Hassan Registered Project Name: GKtv Law License Date: February 27th, 2021 Item License Code: C8MNP4BT3H