Posted on : 30 November 2022
The 10th Meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices (the “CACJ”), and the Inaugural ASEAN+3 Meeting took place on 4 and 5 November 2022 respectively.
The Malaysian Judiciary hosted both meetings at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chief Justices, Heads of Delegations, and senior judicial officials of the ASEAN Judiciaries were able to meet in-person.
The Right Honourable Tun Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat, the Chief Justice of Malaysia, was elected as Chair of the CACJ.
The CACJ held wide-ranging discussions on core areas of judicial collaboration, such as:
- establishing a social media taskforce based on an approved constitution and terms of reference to consider the use social media as an additional platform for engagement with the public;
- adopting a common set of values and principles for ASEAN judiciaries in cases of cross-border child disputes within ASEAN;
- working towards developing a new online learning management system for future online self-learning content for ASEAN judges; and
- continuing to engage the judiciaries of the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea to explore further areas of collaboration, and to explore opportunities with other jurisdictions for the ASEAN+ More Meetings.
In addition, the CACJ adopted key documents such as the Model Rule on the Taking of Evidence for Foreign Proceedings in Civil or Commercial Matters, and the AI Governance Framework on the Use of Artificial Intelligence for the ASEAN Judiciaries.
Finally, the CACJ agreed on new initiatives to be explored, such as establishing a framework for holding Special Interest Group Meetings, establishing a new Working Group on the Conduct of Videoconferencing Hearings chaired by the Philippines, and holding an Inaugural CACJ Retreat in 2023 involving the ASEAN Chief Justices to reflect on the CACJ’s milestones and achievements over the past ten years and chart the CACJ’s strategic agenda for the next ten years.
At the close of the meeting, all attending Chief Justices and Heads of Delegations signed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration.
The Inaugural ASEAN+3 Meeting took place on 5 November 2022. It was a hybrid meeting, with the Chief Justices and representatives of the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea attending remotely to share and discuss with the CACJ on the areas of technological developments and use of technology to facilitate access to justice.
The Malaysian Judiciary hosted a Royal Dinner on 4 November 2022 for the ASEAN delegates. Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzuan Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-lah and Duli Yang Maha Mulia Raja Permaisuri Perak Darul Ridzuan Tuanku Zara Salim graced the Dinner with their Royal Highnesses’ presence. The Malaysian Judiciary also hosted a Gala Dinner on 5 November 2022 in conjunction with the 10th Anniversary of the formation of the CACJ.
The CACJ will next meet in September 2023 for the Inaugural CACJ Retreat hosted by Malaysia.
The Opening Speeches, Closing Remarks and Dinner Speeches made available by the members of the CACJ may be accessed here: Link here
The Kuala Lumpur Declaration that was signed by the Chief Justices and Heads of Delegations at the close of the 10th CACJ Meeting may be accessed here: Link here