21 July 2023
1. Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong together with a delegation of senior judges and judicial officers from the Brunei Darussalam Judiciary attended the 7th Joint Judicial Conference (JJC) on 21 July 2023 hosted by the Malaysian Judiciary.
2. Since its inception in 2011, the judiciaries of Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore meet at the biennial conference to discuss judicial and legal matters of common interest. The JJC serves as a valuable platform to strengthen and deepen ties by exchanging ideas and strengthening the already resilient and long-standing relationships that exist between Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore as the law in all three jurisdictions take their roots from the common law. It also provides a valuable forum for the exchange of views on developments in specific areas of law and for the judiciaries to learn from each other's experiences in the administration of justice.
3. The theme of the 7th JJC was 'Criminal Justice System in ASEAN: Moving Towards A More Compassionate Society.' The three judiciaries, each represented by their judges and judicial officers, showcased presentations by speakers and engaged in panel discussions on emerging issues including 'Due Process and the Crime Control Model: Judicial Decision-Making in Criminal Justice', 'Improving the Criminal Justice System: Best Practices and Collaboration' and 'Cross-Border Criminal Conviction and Punishment: The Importance of Mutual Respect, Understanding and Dialogue.'
4. In his opening remarks Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong highlighted that “it is important that Judiciaries are receptive to and can effectively address the evolving societal issues in the administration of justice." He added that the conference's theme for the JJC has put into perspective one of the principles of the 2008 ASEAN Charter, which is to 'enhance the well-being and livelihood of the peoples of ASEAN by providing them with equitable access to opportunities for human development, social welfare and justice.'
5. A total of 83 judges and judicial officers from Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Singapore attended the conference.
