Officers from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Malaysian Bar lawyers, and superior court judges in full regalia marched into the Putrajaya International Convention Centre this morning.

Dignitaries in attendance included chief justice of Indonesia H Sunarto and other foreign guests.

Bar president Ezri Abdul Wahab, who also represents the Sabah Law Society and the Advocates Association of Sarawak, will be the first to deliver a speech on the occasion.

This will be followed by Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar, delivering his first speech since his appointment to office last November.

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat will deliver the final speech of the event, marking her last address before her retirement later this year.

As equal partners in the administration of justice, the trio will use today’s occasion to reflect on significant events about the rule of law that took place over the preceding year, and speak about their visions and aspirations for the new legal year.

The ceremony continues the tradition revived by then chief justice Zaki Azmi in 2010, following its absence for nearly a decade after 2001.

Since then, the legal year opening has been an annual affair, with last year’s event featuring a similar procession and speeches about the judiciary’s commitment to the rule of law.