Berita

Gombak, 21 August 2021. Mr Salim Bashir, a prominent criminal lawyer, calls on students to have dreams and act on their dreams including dreaming to become a great criminal lawyer.  Puan Suzanawati Ismail, another prominent criminal lawyer, who is also an alumnus of Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) calls all sisters to be brave and to dream to be great female criminal lawyers and to shatter the stereotype that criminal law practice is not for sisters.

The above discussion takes place during the Criminal Talk Series organised by the Civil Law Department, AIKOL, IIUM together with the AIKOL Alumni Wing and the AIKOL Law Students’ Society.

Mr Salim Bashir, the immediate past President of the Bar Council reminds participants of the Blackstone’s doctrine that ‘the law holds that it is better that 10 guilty persons escape, than that 1 innocent suffer” in evaluating the role of the criminal defence lawyers. They are essential to ensure that the justice system works in the adversarial system where the opposing prosecutorial and defence teams adduce evidence and present submission for the judge to decide.

Puan Suzanawati Ismail reiterates the significance of ethical conduct as students have been trained at law schools in accepting and conducting the defence brief. As a counsel for the clients, the counsel must do his utmost best in preparing and presenting the defence case. 

In his welcoming remarks, Prof Farid Sufian Shuaib conveys the appreciation of the Kulliyyah for the two prominent criminal lawyers in giving their time to provide the true picture of legal practice to law students. The objective of the Criminal Talk Series is to enhance the confidence of students to enter into practice, particularly criminal practice. It is necessary for the students to appreciate the true picture of legal practice to build their appreciation of the trial and tribulation endured by the various segments of the society and to have empathy with the under privileged in the community to ensure law is serving all segments of the society.

Sis Fatin Alisya moderates the programme.