THE amendment bill for the Courts of Judicature Act to allow the courts to utilise remote communication technology was tabled for the first reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.

“Court may conduct proceedings through remote communication technology,” the bill read. 

The second and third readings of the bill tabled by Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan are scheduled for the current sitting.

The new section,15a seeks to allow the federal, appellate and high courts to conduct proceedings through electronic means of communication such as live video or television link.

These would be cleared for use for both civil and criminal cases.

“In the case of the high court, the place in which the high court is held to conduct the proceedings of any cause or matter, civil or criminal, through a remote communication technology shall be deemed to be conducted within the local jurisdiction of such high court,” the bill reads.

“The place” here refers to cyberspace, virtual place or virtual space.

The bill also seeks to empower the chief justice to issue directions as may be necessary.

The amendments will not affect the operations of Section 5 of the Evidence of Child Witness Act 2007, Sections 265A and 272n of the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593) and Section 32a of the Evidence Act 1950( Act 56), the bill states.

Takiyuddin today also tabled the amendment bills for the Subordinate Courts Act 1948 and Subordinate Courts Rules Act 1955 to include the provision for use of remote communication technology.

The second and third readings of both these bills are also scheduled for the current session, which ends August 27. – August 24, 2020.