The government has proposed several amendments to the Judiciary Act aimed at further strengthening judicial administration in the country.
The proposed amendments moved by ruling party lawmaker, Saudullah Hilmy, refines the code of conduct for judges to ensure the independence and credibility of the judiciary. The bill further details procedures on conducting performance reviews of judges and filing financial statements for more transparency.
The bill also refines procedures for transferring judges to other courts and for temporarily assigning the functions of another court.
According to the amendment proposed by the government, judges can no longer be involved in any business, have any direct or indirect financial interest in the purchase, lease or business transaction.
Judges will also be mandated to notify the chief judge and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) of cases exceeding 12 months without a verdict. Currently, the law requires only the chief judge of the court to be notified within six months.
According to the Judiciary Act, each judge is required to submit financial statements to the JSC once every 12 months. However, the proposed amendment requires judges to submit a financial statement of their assets within three months of taking office. The amendment also requires the submission of the previous year's statement within the first three months of each year.
In addition, if judges resign, they will be required to submit financial statements within three months of their resignation.
The proposed amendment also mandates judges to file financial statements of immediate family, including spouses, dependent children and other direct dependents.