They stressed that driver recruitment should be centralised and subjected to strict background checks to ensure professionalism and accountability. At the same time, judges must be provided with trained security personnel or police officers to safeguard them against potential harm or targeted intimidation.
Lawyer Salim Bashir said any compromise to judges’ security, or exposure to threats and violence, could cast a shadow over their ability to discharge their duties. “This underscores the critical importance of effective security and threat-management measures,” said the former Malaysian Bar president, who also called for a proper mechanism to assess potential security risks.
“It is paramount that comprehensive background checks and rigorous assessments are conducted before hiring staff or chauffeurs who work closely with judges,” he said. Salim said that while providing ordinary judges with national-level security forces or personal bodyguards may not be feasible, it is essential that they are afforded basic security protection.
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He said the recruitment process for drivers should be centralised, and the office of the chief registrar should consider assuming responsibility for it. Alternatively, Salim said the office could appoint qualified private agencies to provide judges with professionally trained, monitored and assessed chauffeurs services.
Salim was commenting after a judge’s former driver was charged earlier this month with criminal intimidation while on duty, allegedly with the intention of causing fear and alarm. The 39-year-old man also pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of having amphetamine and methamphetamine in his system based on a urine test.
Currently, newly appointed judges are allowed to recruit their own drivers, with many employing the drivers of now-retired judges. Their salaries and benefits range from RM3,500 to RM6,000 per month, depending on experience.
At present, only the chief justice, the president of the Court of Appeal, and the chief judges of Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak are provided with bodyguards. Lawyer Nicholas Kow said judges and judicial commissioners are particularly exposed to security risks given that they are tasked with determining cases which may affect the lives, livelihood, liberty and interests of a wide range of persons and organisations.
“Security for all judges is of paramount importance to enable them to carry out their duties without fear for their safety,” he said. Noting that ministers and deputy ministers were entitled to drivers and security personnel, Kow said it was timely for the judiciary to consider similar protection for judges, who are key members of another branch of government.
Lawyer Emile Ezra Hussain said the legal fraternity, which has long been concerned about security of tenure for judges, should also review concerns relating to their personal security. He also said the safety of women judges should be prioritised, particularly as the number of female judicial appointments continues to rise.
“Those in authority must be proactive. Women judges are often alone in a car with a male driver, and there is always the potential risk of crime or misconduct. “There should be a third person, such as a bodyguard, present to accompany women judges,” he said. Emile also said drivers should undergo periodic medical examinations to ensure they are free from the influence of drugs and alcohol. – Free Malaysia Today
