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)