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2021 MarsdenLR 2152

FEDERAL COURT PUTRAJAYA
SUNDRA RAJOO NADARAJAH – Appellant
Versus
MENTERI LUAR NEGERI MALAYSIA & ORS – Respondent


Petitioner Advocates:Malik Imtiaz,Shanmuga Kanesalingam,Abdul Shukor Ahmad,Baljit Singh Sidhu,Khoo Suk Chyi,Dinesh Kumar Paramasivam,Surendra Ananth ,Respondent Advocate: Narkunavathy Sundareson,Kogilambigai,Noor Atiqah Zainal Abidin

Judgement Key Points

Certainly. Based on the provided legal document, here are the key points:

  1. The court held that statutory immunity under the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act includes immunity from criminal proceedings, which is essential for safeguarding international legal obligations and organizational integrity (!) .

  2. The relevant legislation, the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1992, confers privileges and immunities on high officers of international organizations, including immunity from suit and legal process in respect of acts performed in their official capacity (!) (!) .

  3. The Act’s provisions, particularly the words "and from other legal process," are interpreted to include criminal proceedings unless explicitly excluded by legislation. The courts emphasized that immunity should be broadly construed in favor of international law compliance (!) (!) .

  4. The purpose of immunity in this context is to protect the independence of international organizations and their officials, including the inviolability of their documents and archives, which is vital for their effective functioning (!) (!) .

  5. The immunity conferred is functional (immunity ratione materiae), applicable to acts done in official capacity, and does not depend on whether the individual is a current or former officer. This immunity extends to criminal proceedings related to acts within the scope of official duties (!) (!) .

  6. The court recognized that international law and domestic legislation should be harmonized, and where ambiguity exists, the interpretation favoring international obligations should be adopted to prevent violations of international law (!) (!) .

  7. The appropriate forum to determine immunity is the court that can properly assess whether acts were performed within the scope of official capacity, rather than the criminal court where charges are laid (!) (!) .

  8. Judicial review of decisions regarding immunity and prosecutorial discretion is permissible in exceptional circumstances, particularly where there is clear illegality or the decision violates the statutory or constitutional framework (!) (!) .

  9. The exercise of prosecutorial discretion by the Attorney General is generally protected from judicial review, but this protection is not absolute. It is subject to a higher standard of review when there is evidence of illegality or procedural irregularity (!) (!) .

  10. The court emphasized that judicial review is appropriate when the decision to prosecute is made in breach of statutory or constitutional provisions, especially when the decision is made without regard to the immunity or legal obligations involved (!) (!) .

  11. The court highlighted that the purpose of immunity is to preserve organizational independence and that criminal proceedings should not undermine this purpose unless there is clear legislative intent to exclude such proceedings (!) (!) .

  12. Overall, the decision underscores the importance of interpreting immunities broadly in line with international law principles, and that such immunities are subject to judicial review only under specific, exceptional circumstances where legality is in question (!) (!) .

Please let me know if you require further analysis or specific legal advice related to this document.


JUDGMENT

Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat CJ:

Introduction

[1] The appellant is the former director of the Asian International Arbitration Centre ('AIAC') or as it was formerly known, the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration or 'KLRCA'. AIAC was established under the auspices of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization ('AALCO').

[2] The 1st respondent is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the 2nd respondent is the Attorney General of Malaysia ('AG'), the 3rd respondent is the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission ('MACC') and the 4th respondent is the Government of Malaysia.

[3] This appeal primarily concerned the question of legal immunity. On the one hand, the appellant claimed statutory legal immunity from 'legal processes' which he construed to include criminal proceedings. On the other hand, the respondents, particularly the 2nd respondent acting in the capacity of Public Prosecutor ('PP') claimed immunity from judicial scrutiny against his decision to prosecute the appellant.

[4] Upon hearing parties and upon careful reflection, we were constrained to allow the appeal. We now provide the grounds for our decision.

The Salient Facts

[5] The facts of the appeal, which are largely u

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