Malaysian Bar's bid to challenge Najib's reduced sentence dismissed

The Star

The Malaysian Bar has lost its bid to challenge the Pardon Board’s decision in reducing Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case.  The Bar had applied for leave to initiate judicial review proceedings against the Pardons Board’s decision to reduce Najib's sentence.  Read more at https://tinyurl.com/4k92v4tc  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00The Malaysian Bar's bid to challenge the Federal Territory's

00:05Pardons Board's decision to reduce Datuk Srinajib Razak's sentence

00:09in the SRC International case has been dismissed.

00:12The Bar had sought permission to initiate judicial review proceedings

00:17against the decision. Justice Ahmad Kamal Madshahid

00:21ruled on Monday that the prerogative of mercy under Article 42

00:25of the Federal Constitution is the exclusive discretion

00:29of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, not the FT Pardons Board.

00:34As such, the Board's decision is not subject to judicial review.

00:38The Bar argued that it was not contesting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's prerogative,

00:43but was instead legally challenging the advice given by the FT Pardons Board.

00:48However, Justice Ahmad Kamal ruled that the Bar's attempt to separate

00:52the Board's advice from the Agong's decision was fundamentally flawed,

00:57and thus could not be subject to legal challenge.

01:00Lawyer Datuk Zainur Zakaria, representing the Bar,

01:04told reporters that they would consult with their client on a possible appeal.

01:09Senior Federal Counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambali represented the Attorney General,

01:14while lawyers Mohamed Farhan Mohamed Shafi and Wan Mohamed Arfan Wan Othman

01:21represented Najib.

01:24The Bar had filed its application on April 26, naming the FT Pardons Board

01:29and Najib as the first and second respondents, respectively.

01:34According to court documents, the Bar is seeking a declaration

01:38that the January 29 decision to reduce Najib's sentence by 50%,

01:43allowing his early release by August 23, 2028,

01:47and lowering his 210 million ringgit fine to 50 million ringgit,

01:52or a year in jail if unpaid, was unlawful, unconstitutional, and void.

01:58The Bar also requested a certiorari order to overturn these decisions.

02:03Seventy-year-old Najib has been serving his sentence in Kajang Prison

02:07since August 23, 2022, following his conviction in the SRC International case.

02:22For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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