The Office of the President (OP) yesterday distanced itself from statements made by Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, on Wednesday criticizing the recent releasing of a murder accused on bail by Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang.
Justice Chang also weighed in on Rohee’s comments saying that the minister’s statement ought to be viewed as a public reassurance that the judiciary was not the subservient mistress of the executive.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Rohee said there appeared to be a disjointed criminal justice system, which was granting bail to murder accused. “We now have bail applications being granted to murder accused. The judiciary has now become totally unpredictable and case law is now thrown out of the window,” Rohee charged. He was referring to last week’s freeing on bail of a man who had been charged on two counts of murder by Justice Chang.
In a statement yesterday, OP said it had noted the concerns publicly expressed by the minister on the matter. “Notwithstanding the minister’s concerns that are a reflection of social sentiment, the Office of the President wishes to advise that the executive is unprepared to accept any contention that such a ruling actually constitutes a challenge.”
