Gopal Sri Ram said the subordinate court judges perform special tasks in applying their judicial minds to cases they hear.
“That mind must not be contaminated by BTN’s controversial ways in which the organisation had been regarded,” he told FMT.
Gopal said the public would lose confidence in the independence of the judiciary and the administration of justice if the current practice was allowed to continue.
The former Federal Court judge said this in response to a statement by the Federal Court Chief Registrar’s Office that Sessions judges and magistrates are members of the civil service in accordance with Article 132(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution.
In a statement issued yesterday, it said these judicial officers were also subject to circulars and regulations for public servants, including attending training and courses.
However, the statement dismissed a suggestion that the recent BTN courses for Sessions Court judges were political indoctrination.
The modules were supervised by the Chief Registrar’s Office and were not fully under BTN, it said.
“The modules are on team-building and are generic to spur patriotism and instil team spirit and good values among our staff,” it added.
Last week, Lawyers For Liberty (LFR) revealed that Sessions Court judges were made to attend a BTN course on the eve of the general election.
The NGO said it had obtained new documents showing that registrars, officers and staff of the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya as well as the Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam courts were also forced to attend another BTN course one week later.
Those made to attend included key deputy registrars and officers of individual Court of Appeal and Federal Court judges, LFR adviser N Surendran, said in a statement.
Gopal said in the past, superior court (High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal Court) judges were also asked to attend such courses but many refused to.
He said it was time that the judicial service was separated from the legal service.
Under this proposal, the chief registrar will head the judicial service while the legal service will be led by the Attorney-General.
Prove BTN courses weren’t political, LFL tells Chief Registrar
Lawyers group: Entire court system may be tainted by BTN brainwashing