Assembly Of Southern Lawyers Calls For Respect For The Independence Of The Judiciary

The Assembly of Southern Lawyers is calling for respect for the independence of the Judiciary amid ongoing public debate surrounding the Court of Appeal’s decisions in the Preventive Detention Order (PDO) proceedings.

In a statement issued on Monday, it said judicial decisions involving constitutional rights, personal liberty and matters of significant public importance would naturally generate strong public interest and discussion.

However, while reasoned criticism of judicial decisions was legitimate and necessary in a democracy, it said there was an important distinction between robust criticism of a judgment and personal attacks on judicial officers.