PUTRAJAYA: The Government will not be amending laws pertaining to sexual assault and rape against minors, as they are already adequate.
“I don’t see anything wrong with the law,” said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of law Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.
While the Cabinet had discussed the recent string of controversial court decisions in cases involving statutory rape, it would not review the law, he said.
“There is no need. The question here is the sentencing, and it is up to the courts to mete out the punishment,” he said.
However, he said he had met the Chief Justice over the contents of a memorandum handed to him by Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Heng Seai Kie earlier this week.
It was reported that the memorandum would include requests to review the law.
Nazri also refused to be drawn into any debate over court decisions despite Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail’s hard-hitting statement which was front-paged on The Star yesterday.
“The A-G is free to give his opinion,” said Nazri. “But as minister, I don’t wish to add to it, to maintain the separation of powers.
“As the member of the Executive, we don’t want to tell the Judiciary what to do, then it would be interpreted as interfering,” he added.
At the same time, Nazri was sure that the Judiciary had taken notice to redress and take action based on public perception.
The A-G had hit out at the court decisions which saw convicted statutory rapists escaping jail time and being given good behaviour bond instead.
Abdul Gani said such rape cases needed deterrent sentences to show the public’s abhorrence and re- vulsion towards such heinous crimes.
In a related development, the Bar Council has called for the setting up of a sentencing council to provide guidelines for judges, in a move to promote consistency in appropriating punishment.
Its president Lim Chee Wee said the council could comprise judges, prosecutors, civil societies, defence lawyers and academics.
LA:Just folllow the rules.
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