‘Do action speaks louder than words’??? However, the Bar Council Human Rights Committee proved vice versa. They decided to talk rather than walk in conjunction with the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights(UDNR) 1948 as well as the Human Rights Day on the 10th of December 2008.

Hence, The Bar Council Human Rights Committee will be organizing the Bar Council Human Rights Debate 2008 to make known towards the public about our rights as homosapiens. In addition, this debate will cultivate moral values and narrow the gap regardless culture, ethnic and language because all rights allied issue will be debated. The debate ought to be the right place to express your opinion on international and national policies. The theme for the debate is “UDHR @ 60 and still not all is right”. The event will take place on the 9th-12th of December, 2008 at KDU college (PJ Campus).
If you are interested to know more about the Articles in UDNR, you can click the link ,http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Each team consist of two person. The debate will be held in the British Parliamentary style. Thus, there will be opening and closing arguments for both the government and the opposition. Each person will be given 7 minutes to present his/her argument. Audi Alteram Partem is exercised in the debate.The debate do not requires you to only speak, but hearing the other party is essential too! Watching debates has never been mundane to me, most of the speakers were very eloquent people. If you think you are one of them, quickly register for this debate. Attractive prizes are awaiting the winner. If debate is not your cup of tea, perhaps you can opt to participate as an adjudicator or in the Public Speaking competition.

However, if you wish to assist or donate a token of appreciation for this event. Please do not hesitate to do so because it is never easy to organize and make it successful event without support from everyone. Let’s participate and celebrate this event to show that WE CARE and we are concern about our rights. If we do not even care about our rights, who will?
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The applicable fees in respect of the Debate Tournament and Public Speaking Competition are as follows:

I. Debate Tournament

For participants

RM250 per person (for debater)
RM250 per person (for adjudicator)
RM250 per person (for officer/ observer)
(Fee includes food and hotel accommodation)
Every team must have 2 debaters and 1 adjudicator. (For participating institutions, the maximum number of teams permitted is 5 per institution)

For ‘Stay At Home’ participants

RM180 per person (for debater)
RM180 per person (for adjudicator)
RM180 per person (for officer/observer)
(Fee includes food)
Every team must have 2 debaters and 1 adjudicator. (For participating institutions, the maximum number of teams permitted is 5 per institution)

II. Public Speaking Competition

RM50 per person (Fee includes food)

Registration Process:

Kindly send to us via wire transfer the requisite fee(s) by 30 October 2008, details of which are as follows:

Bar Council
HSBC, No 2, Leboh Ampang, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Account No: 301-022166-001
SWIFT Code No: HBMBMYKL
(Please pay all bank charges so that the Bar Council receives the full amount of the fees.)

Alternatively, send your cheque(s) made in favor of the ‘Bar Council’ to them.

After transferring or sending your fee, e-mail them at hrdebate08@malaysianbar.org.my, and tell them your name, institution, and the amount of money you transferred/sent.

Attach a copy of the transfer slip/cheque and the registration form to the e-mail you sent. They will not cover transaction costs.

Please visit http://hrdebate08.wordpress.com/ for more information.

P/S: eLawyer.com.my is proud to be one of the sponsors of the above event.

The recent Political Tsunami in our country has yielded many changes for us, the Rakyat. We have seen the emergence of a dual-party system (well, almost), where a bigger and tougher opposition shares the limelight with the ruling party. We have seen giant-killers and the almighty falls of ministers. We have seen the weakening of racial politics and the strengthening of democracy.

For the legal community, the change came in the form of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, the new de facto law minister. Hailed as “the most promising appointment” in the new cabinet by The Economist (Reference - “Shuffling deckchairs“, The Economist, 2008-03-19.), he has so far lived up to the name. From forcing the government to apologize for the 1988 judicial crisis (a huge leap, that one), the introduction of the Common Bar Examination, to his staunch support for establishment of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Video Clip –  Datuk Zaid is here to stay.

Thus, eLawyer, as your local legal community portal, would like to hear your views and concerns regarding some of the issues currently affecting the legal community and the country, as a whole.

We would like to invite all lawyers, law students and bloggers to participate in our blog writing competition, which features some ‘hot’ topics right now:

1) Towards an independent judiciary in Malaysia

2) Common Bar Exams: The creation of a new problem or a solution for an old one?

3) Welcome CheDet.com: the impact of Tun Mahathir’s blog

4) Anti-party Hopping Law- Agree or Disagree?

Choose EITHER ONE of the above topics, give your two-cents worth in not more than 1,000 words and you stand to win up to RM 500 cash! Successful entries will be featured in an exclusive section on our website.

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Once every four years, the world arrives at a standstill. Peoples from all over the world gather to celebrate the peak of our physical prowess. And to celebrate with a spirit of camaraderie. A moment when national, racial and religious divide are forgotten. And when everyone exchanges smiles and handshakes.

Such is the essence of the Olympics. Or is it?

No doubt, the 2008 Beijing Olympics would be China’s crowning moment in its sudden, stunning meteoric rise from a sleeping giant to a global superpower. But as the Games loom ever closer, rumblings of discontent from the rest of the world have grown even louder.

In February 2008, the famous Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg (E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List) dropped a bombshell by withdrawing himself as artistic adviser to the 2008 Olympics. His main reason was China’s role and influence in the western Darfur conflict. He accused China of not doing enough to pressure the Sudanese government to end the “continuing human suffering” there.

He said: “At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies, but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur”.

Predictably, his withdrawal has sparked much controversy. The Chinese authorities and media have categorically condemned him. The International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) has backed China. The rest of the world has shown mixed reactions.

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