PUTRAJAYA: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong today announced the establishment of two new Sessions Courts.
The first, he said, was a Special Sessions Court in Semenyih, Selangor dedicated to hearing immigration cases involving undocumented migrants.
"And, the second is a new Sessions Court in Langkawi, Kedah," he said in a statement today.
The Special Sessions Court in Semenyih, he said, would facilitate the right of easy access to justice for foreign nationals detained in Malaysia on immigration-related charges.
"It allows for these cases to be speedily disposed, preventing any backlogs and significantly shortening the duration of detention in immigration custody pending trial," Liew added.
The Sessions Court in Langkawi, he said, would hear cases both civil and criminal in nature.
"Prior to this, the nearest Sessions Court to Langkawi was situated in Alor Setar, a two-hour journey away by land and sea.
"This move is therefore designed to save the time and costs of parties seeking judicial relief in the Sessions Court whilst securing their right of access to justice," he said.
The minister added the right of access to justice and a speedy trial are fundamental cornerstones of international human rights and trademarks of a vibrant and healthy democracy.
He said the government would continue to ensure all individuals in Malaysia had access to this indispensable right and that it would be similarly extended to other parts in the country in the near future.