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I. Introduction

1. Good afternoon. Let me first extend my heartfelt congratulations to the LAWASIA team and the Malaysian Bar for putting together the 37th LAWASIA Conference. As has become customary, this conference is held in conjunction with the Conference of Chief Justices of Asia and the Pacific, and I want to thank all our friends and colleagues from Malaysia for your exceptional hospitality and the outstanding arrangements that have been made for both conferences.

2. Almost three decades ago at the 6th Conference of Chief Justices, twenty Chief Justices unanimously adopted a joint Statement of Principles of the Independence of the Judiciary, which are now more commonly known as the "Beijing Principles". This was a remarkable achievement by our predecessors, and it has left an enduring legacy which should remind us of the tremendous value that these conferences can bring to our judicial systems and therefore also to the global legal order.

3. Unquestionably, the Beijing Principles remain as relevant today as they were three decades ago. And they will continue to be so because the existence of an independent and impartial judiciary is central to any proper conception of the rule of law.^[1] But it is perhaps noteworthy that our predecessors had framed the consensus they reached in these terms:^[2]

It is the conclusion of the Chief Justices and other judges of Asia and Pacific listed below that these represent the minimum standards necessary to be observed in order to maintain the independence and effective functioning of the judiciary. [emphasis added]

The article is a review of the effectiveness of domestic violence protections in Malaysia, based on the Domestic Violence Act 1994 ('DVA 1994') and other legal interventions. Although there are still obvious shortcomings despite some amendments to the law, which were intended to enhance it, these shortcomings are evident in the fact that not all victims get the required support and protection. Based on case studies, surveys, and research, this paper identifies delays in enforcement, legal loopholes, and uncertain procedures that put off victims from seeking intervention. These two main cases, Mangaleswary Ponnampalam v. Giritharan E Rajaratnam and Ahmad Azhar Othman v. Rozana Misbun, have specified how such defects come into practical scenarios. Issues of delayed action by police, careless or poorly interpreted protective order rules, and confusing use of criminal versus civil legal actions may all create a situation where it is inconvenient to have access to safety and justice. Improvement of support services, increasing public awareness, making the victim economically independent, better mental health care, and finally, rule of law protections are some of the measures put forward in the article to tackle these issues. This is to make such a system more functional and supportive so that the victims can easily come out of the abusive relationship and start rebuilding their lives.

The apex court rules that transactions premised on gambling activities are against public policy and are illegal, null, and void.

A gambling debt is not legally enforceable in Malaysia on grounds of public policy, the Federal Court has ruled. In delivering the unanimous judgment of the court, Justice Nordin Hassan noted that the government had repeatedly and firmly voiced its stance against gambling in Parliament on grounds that the public derives no benefit from it.

Globally, there is an unfettered right of access to court proceedings by the public, which is consilient with the principle of open justice as it is regarded as an essential tenet of any justice system to guarantee public confidence, independence, and accountability in the administration of justice. In Malaysia, Section 15 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 states that all civil and criminal matters shall be deemed to be open and accessible to the public. Journalists are often keen to report on cases that are newsworthy and those that garners public interest wherein they act as an intermediary between the public and the courts.