Zaki Tun Azmi
Encyclopedia
Tun Zaki bin Tun Azmi (born September 12, 1945 in Alor Setar) is the sixth and current Chief Justice
of Malaysia. He was appointed by the King
on October 21, 2008 after his predecessor, Abdul Hamid Mohamed, retired from office.
Zaki, who was previously a practising lawyer, was directly appointed as a Federal Court
judge on September 5, 2007—a first in Malaysian judicial history. Zaki is the son of former Lord President of the Federal Court
Mohamed Azmi Mohamed
. He was appointed as President of the Court of Appeal
in December 2007.
Zaki's appointment as a Federal Court judge has been criticised by the Opposition
citing his swift ascendency, presence of more senior judges, and the fact that he was a legal adviser to the United Malays National Organisation
(UMNO), the major component party in the ruling coalition, just prior to his appointment as a judge.
in Alor Setar, furthering his studies at Anderson School in Ipoh
and finally in English College
in Johor Bahru
.
through Lincoln's Inn
in London
, served at the Attorney General's
Chambers from 1969 to 1970, and later served the subordinate courts from 1970 to 1973. In 1973, Zaki returned to the Attorney General's Chambers serving as a Federal Counsel and in 1976 he became a senior Federal Counsel under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Zaki was called to the Malayan Bar
in 1983 and practised as a lawyer
at Shahrizat Rashid & Lee beginning 1985.
Zaki also served as a legal adviser to United Malays National Organisation
(UMNO), where he was the party's Disciplinary Committee Chairman and had served the party in other areas as well.
Zaki began his job by announcing that he would get tough and take action against errant judges to prevent the image of the judiciary
from being tarnished.
Chief Justice of Malaysia
The Chief Justice of Malaysia , also known as the Chief Justice of the Federal Court, is the office and title of the head of the Malaysian judiciary system. The title has been in use since 1994, and prior to this it was known as the Lord President of the Federal Court. The Chief Justice is the head...
of Malaysia. He was appointed by the King
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
on October 21, 2008 after his predecessor, Abdul Hamid Mohamed, retired from office.
Zaki, who was previously a practising lawyer, was directly appointed as a Federal Court
Federal Court of Malaysia
The Federal Court of Malaysia is the highest court and the final appellate court in Malaysia. It is housed in the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya...
judge on September 5, 2007—a first in Malaysian judicial history. Zaki is the son of former Lord President of the Federal Court
Lord President of the Federal Court
The title of Lord President of the Supreme Court was formerly the title of the head of the judiciary in Malaysia, until 1994 when the office was renamed "Chief Justice of the Federal Court"....
Mohamed Azmi Mohamed
Mohamed Azmi Mohamed
- References :...
. He was appointed as President of the Court of Appeal
Court of Appeal of Malaysia
The Court of Appeal is an appellate court of the judiciary system in Malaysia. It is the second highest court in the hierarchy below the Federal Court. This court was created in 1994 as part of reforms made to the judiciary to create a second tier appellate court after the Privy Council appeals...
in December 2007.
Zaki's appointment as a Federal Court judge has been criticised by the Opposition
Opposition (Malaysia)
The Opposition in Malaysia is a term used to describe political parties represented in the Parliament of Malaysia that are not in government either on their own or as part of a governing coalition. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in parliamentary systems, i.e...
citing his swift ascendency, presence of more senior judges, and the fact that he was a legal adviser to the United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
(UMNO), the major component party in the ruling coalition, just prior to his appointment as a judge.
Background
Early in his life, Zaki attended school in Sultan Abdul Hamid CollegeSultan Abdul Hamid College
The Sultan Abdul Hamid College is a premier school in Alor Setar, Malaysia. Formerly known as the Government English School, it is one of the oldest English schools to be established in the country. It boasts of an illustrious alumni roster that includes Prime Ministers Mahathir bin Mohamad and...
in Alor Setar, furthering his studies at Anderson School in Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
and finally in English College
Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar
English College is a premier secondary non-boarding secondary school located in the city Johor Bahru of the southernmost state of Malaysia .- History :...
in Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
.
As Barrister-at-law and lawyer
Zaki became a Barrister-at-lawBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
through Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, served at the Attorney General's
Attorney General of Malaysia
The Attorney General of Malaysia, also referred to as the A-G , is the principal legal adviser to the Government of Malaysia. The Attorney General is also the highest ranking public prosecutor in the country and is also known as the Public Prosecutor, or simply PP. The powers with regards to...
Chambers from 1969 to 1970, and later served the subordinate courts from 1970 to 1973. In 1973, Zaki returned to the Attorney General's Chambers serving as a Federal Counsel and in 1976 he became a senior Federal Counsel under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Zaki was called to the Malayan Bar
Malaysian Bar
The Malaysian Bar is a professional body which regulates the profession of lawyers in peninsular Malaysia. In Malaysia, there is no distinction between a barrister and a solicitor, in that, it is a fused profession. Membership into the bar is automatic and mandatory. The bar was created under the...
in 1983 and practised as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
at Shahrizat Rashid & Lee beginning 1985.
Zaki also served as a legal adviser to United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
(UMNO), where he was the party's Disciplinary Committee Chairman and had served the party in other areas as well.
As Federal Court judge
On September 5, 2007, Zaki was appointed as Federal Court judge. Later on December 11, 2007 he became the President of the Court of Appeal. Zaki finally became Chief Justice on October 21, 2008, having served little more than a year in Malaysia's superior court system. His appointment as Federal Court judge as well as subsequent promotions has sparked concern by various segment of the public due to his close ties with UMNO. This concern became more apparent as he has only served the judiciary for less than 5 years in total.Zaki began his job by announcing that he would get tough and take action against errant judges to prevent the image of the judiciary
Courts of Malaysia
The Judiciary of Malaysia is largely centralized despite Malaysia's federal constitution, heavily influenced by the British Common Law and to a lesser extent Islamic law, and is mostly independent from political interference.-History:...
from being tarnished.