Govt considering sentencing council in push for criminal justice reforms

The government is considering the possibility of establishing a sentencing council, in a move aimed at promoting greater transparency and consistency in sentencing, as a way to reform the criminal justice system, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said today.

He said the sentencing council would be an independent public body similar to the sentencing council established in the UK. 

"This is to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing, while maintaining the independence of the judiciary," he said at an event in Kuala Lumpur today.

Wan Junaidi said another issue on the table was the matter of prison reforms, where the government was looking to ensure that the punishments meted out are based on the concept of restorative justice. 

"This is to ensure that the rights of all parties are protected and guaranteed, thus improving the dynamics of the Malaysian criminal justice system," he said.