ASEAN to handle legal cases more efficiently
ASEAN to handle legal cases more efficiently
JAKARTA (JP): Major cases involving capital punishment can now
be handled more efficiently by ASEAN member countries through
direct contact among their attorneys general, a statement issued
yesterday said.
The statement is part of an agreement reached by the attorneys
general of the six member countries of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) who wound up their two-day
meeting yesterday.
The agreement, called the Jakarta Consensus, is designed to
facilitate communication among ASEAN attorneys general in order
to solve their problems without undermining the sovereignty of
each other's legal systems.
One point in the agreement requires an attorney general to
inform his counterpart the moment he learns that a citizen from
that member country may be involved in a capital case.
This is to avoid misunderstanding and slow the process of
capital cases.
The consensus also calls for joint legal research, education
programs and exchanged visits of officials to study laws in ASEAN
countries.
"Quick information on legal matters through direct contact
either by telephone, fax or invitation, among ASEAN attorneys
general is crucial to penetrate bureaucratic channels,"
Indonesian Attorney General Singgih said after signing the
consensus.
The other attorneys general who signed the agreement were
Pengiran Haji Bahrin bin Haji Abas of Brunei, Datuk Mochtar
Abdullah of Malaysia, Raul I Goco of the Philippines, Chang Sek
Keong of Singapore and Kanit Nanakorn of Thailand.
The importance of direct communication and information
exchanges among law enforcement officers in the region was given
first priority at the meeting.
Relations between Singapore and the Philippines deteriorated
earlier this year following the hanging of a Filipino maid who
was found guilty by a Singaporean court of double murder.
Lack of information exchanges was also blamed for causing
sluggishness in bilateral legal proceedings among ASEAN members,
and things could worsen when capital punishment was involved.
Jakarta, for example, has lodged a series of complaints
against Kuala Lumpur after Malaysian courts sentenced a number of
Indonesians working in Malaysia to death.
"Informal communication could avoid misunderstanding by ASEAN
countries in dealing with legal problems," Goco said, adding that
"in this case it is important that we do not go to the legality
of protocol."
On Monday, during a courtesy call by the six ASEAN attorneys
general to President Soeharto, the President called on member
countries to forge closer ties in cracking down on crime.
Joining Monday's visit to the Bina Graha presidential office
was Vietnam's deputy attorney general Pham Sy Chien. Vietnam is
set to join ASEAN on Friday. (03)