(PRELOVED) MALAYSIA : ASSAULT ON THE JUDICIARY [RAK 115]

Malaysia: Assault on the Judiciary explores the political events, public debate and court decisions that resulted in the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad taking steps against the nation's judges. These actions, from public criticisms of the courts to the passage of laws restricting judicial review, culminated in the 1988 suspension and eventual dismissal of Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and two Supreme Court judges. In this report, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights finds that the tribunals appointed to hear the allegations against the judges failed to meet international standards for such proceed-ings. Viewed in concert with other governmental actions, the Lawyers Committee concludes that the Mahathir government acted to undermine judicial independence in Malaysia.