Let me be more specific.
In order to win your case, will you allow your legal counsel to lie in court?
Will the government allow its legal counsel (or prosecutors) to lie in court?
The politically correct answer is definitely a no, no, no!
It cannot happen and it must not happen.
That’s why it’s beginning to get really, really scary.
Two sides battling in court because the stakes are very high.
I mean, how do you really know – who’s telling the truth and who’s lying?
One side is presenting the material facts and the other side presenting their juiced-up alternative facts.
Take for example; Malaysia took Singapore to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the sovereignty dispute of Pedra Branca or Pulau Batu Puteh.
Somehow the Malaysian legal team was caught using discredited evidence.
As a very senior member of the legal team, the (former) Attorney General Tan Sri Gani Patail was expected to explain the presence of the discredited evidence.
Unfortunately, he had remained silent and never explained to the public why.
The public deserves an explanation of what the ex-AG knew and when he knew.
What was the action that he took in response to the allegation of fake evidence?
How did the strict and stringent “fact-checking” fail – leading to the extreme loss of prestige for Malaysia’s national pride?
Ex-Law Minister (De facto) Nancy Shukri insisted that the AG was not involved.
But she did not deny that fake facts were adduced and cited as evidence in court by the Malaysian side.
Excuse me Datuk Hajah Nancy Shukri – “Then who was really involved?”
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/246941
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/245950
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedra_Branca_dispute
Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin acted as Malaysia’s Co-Agent to the ICJ.
She was providing leadership and co-leading Malaysia’s legal team.
She is also a former ambassador and the co-founder of G25 being the Group of 25 Eminent Persons in Malaysia.
Having such lofty credentials, we had expected so much of her eminence.
Unfortunately she too had failed to provide clarification on the fake evidence.
What actually happens when a lawyer, a deputy public prosecutor, a witness, a party or an accused – commits perjury in court?
Lying in court while under oath could mean submitting false, fake or fabricated facts or giving oral testimony which is patently untrue.
Misleading the panel of judges to secure a favourable court judgment could be an act of contempt which has severe legal consequences.
In my coming articles, we will be moving from “inside” the judicial court to “outside” the court – which is the court of public opinion.
The question is – does the rules of “speaking the truth” apply equally outside the court when you’re not under oath?
Obviously, only the “court of law” has the “legal power” to punish or sanction any offenders.
While the court of public opinion lacks that same “ judicial power”; rest assured that we the public (via social media) have a very long, loooooong ….. memory.
Next stop, we will proceed to “fact-checking” AG Tommy Thomas concerning his statements on the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The top government lawyer was seen recently on Facebook with Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin.
This eminent lady still owes the public a long overdue explanation on Pedra Branca.
Maybe Her ladyship is too busy with her new role as a propagandist for Rome Statute.
Awakening Moses Wong 