PETALING JAYA: Court of Appeal Judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer’s days on the bench are over after he was suspended for six months by the Judges’ Ethics Committee (JEC).
He is the first to be suspended since the Judges’ Ethics Committee Act 2010 came into effect. His suspension takes effect from today and will run until Aug 27 when he retires from office. Hamid’s lawyer, Wilson Joy Appukuttan said the committee had informed them of their client’s suspension.
“The JEC chairman said they are satisfied that the complaints were proven and that Datuk Hamid is suspended from office from today until Aug 27.”
Earlier, Hamid, who was asked to appear before the JEC refused to come before them as he wanted to challenge the composition and constitutionality of the committee.
Three years ago, he had alleged that there was judicial interference in several high-profile cases.
Subsequently, lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo filed a suit against the chief justice in early 2019, accusing the top judge of failing to defend and preserve the integrity of the judiciary.
The JEC then issued Hamid a show-cause notice for affirming Sangeet’s affidavit that senior judges had intervened in the decisions of numerous appeals, including the late Karpal Singh’s sedition case.
Hamid was first appointed as judicial commissioner on March 1, 2007 serving in the Kuching and Sibu High Court for two years.
He then served in the KL High Court for six months before he was elevated to become a High Court judge.
In 2013, he was appointed as a Court of Appeal judge.
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