The Wide Open Field

Not too long ago, a friend called me up. He asked me the kind of question I once asked my Mentor about practicing. Like me, that friend of mine was of the same vintage in terms of years in practice. In brief he had joined a friend's firm as a Legal Assistant after being partner in another firm. 

Like me, he craved the stability of income which is of course something that is paramount once you have a family. Also like me, his chosen field is litigation. He had been out there doing his thing, having fun doing all sorts of cases and also like me he has problem coming back to a structured office existence. Exactly like me, he finds people passing by his room distracting as hell and finds it exasperating for a friend who is also the managing partner in his new firm to give instruction in a roundabout way as if wanting you to do something and yet not wanting to sound as to be bossing you around.  But the long and short of it, he wants to know if giving up his independent existence is a mistake. 

My first thought which of course I did not say out loud is: this sounds familiar. My follow up thought was: Darn it dude, I am not the Oracle of Delphi. But since he asked, I had to give it a go.

From what I know so far, a father and a husband has three chains that binds him, one being love, the second being responsibility and the last and final one being reality. All but reality are the ones a Man willingly binds himself upon. To discard love and responsibility in favour of a whim is to be in my eyes, a less of a Man.

At the same time, one cannot be living a lie by being someone who he is not, and this is where my Mentor's words rang true and I quote this from memory: Us litigators have been too long in the wild to be tamed. We have to do it our way or no way. To that I added: But if being tamed is what you have to do for the sake of your family then that is what you do.

Enkidu, the wild man of the Epic of Gilgamesh found his animal friends shying away from him for he stank of domestication and civilization but he did it nonetheless out of his love for Shamhat the temple priestess (we leave the argument whether a Woman is a civilizing aspect of a Man aside for the moment: Consider the Trojan War and Helen of Troy).

Is the proverbial domestication the logical conclusion after years of living free? I do not know. Maybe there is a middle way but I have not found it yet. To live free and yet not to worry about supporting one's family.  I can only tell myself that, that wide open field is always there, if not in this world, in the next and no, I did not mean that line and that wide open fields from The Gladiator. 

The ScoreBoard

 

Back when I was a pupil my master had the newspaper cuttings of his winning verdicts on one side of the wall of his office. At first I thought; Wow, so poyo! But then as I grew older, I realized there are two ways to look at it. One, it was a reminder of how much further he had to go. Two, balm to aching heart because winning a case or every case is not a guarantee.

That being said, I had the privilege of fighting losing battles, the nigh on impossible cases which the only soothing balm was that most of the time my fees was paid in full. Privilege, not because I have heroic delusions of myself but because I see myself firmly in the shoes (or rather soles of) Diogenes begging from a statue- wanting to get used to rejection or in my case, losing so that when I win, it is all sweeter and I won two weeks ago.

It was a legal aid file so the fees were not that substantial. In short, it was a drug possession case, and the investigation was shoddy and I did my level best to attack the investigation from every available angle (missing dashcam footage, missing bodycam footage, important witnesses not investigated and more). Thanks to the brave and very fair Magistrate, my client was acquitted at the end of the prosecution’s case. I can feel my stomach unclenching when she pronounced the verdict. I was on my way out of the court room to use the men’s room to deliver a cargo when the court came into session. So I sat back down.

The final blow I delivered was something the Investigating Officer himself shouted out to me outside the court during recess, twice: the drug belonged to someone else and he as the IO knew it from the beginning. Was it out of repressed guilt, was it misplaced ego believing that I would not dare to cross exam him on that point, I do not know. All I know is that he volunteered the crucial information that led to the acquittal of my client.

His shouted confession caught me by surprise so much so that I had to call my boss and my mentor for their guidance. When recess was over and the court was back in session I tried to gently persuade him to tell the court what he shouted out to me- he clammed up. That, was the cue for me to turn the screws on him and turn I did. In the end he relented. Admitted that another person had made a confession that the drug was his and despite this the IO kept the spotlight of investigation on my client and came up with a lame one liner that the arresting officer’s version of events are more convincing than the confession.

I was not accustomed to winning due to the aforementioned nature of mine being the magnet of lost causes, so when the time came to leave the court with my client already sobbing in relief, I felt lost. Lost despite the win because I do not know how to console a grown man crying. Crying tears of relief no less. Do I hand him my kerchief? Do I tell him to stop because its unmanly while his wife is looking or do I join him in tears of solidarity? I was also lost because I do not know how to process the win. My very first criminal trial win, ever.

In the end, I pat his back a bit, shook his hand, the hands of his family members and made an excuse to leave. I remembered walking back to my car feeling elated that my client is now free and able to move on with his life. The relief came much later when I took a massive dump at home.

If the case is ever reported in the law journals, I’d have to save it or print it out and keep it somewhere within reach but not as trophy to be displayed but as my personal scoreboard.

 

On Shame

 

 

Tak lama dahulu waktu taklimat perlantikan sebagai panel satu syarikat utiliti ada diterangkan satu persatu cara-cara pelaksanaan penghakiman yang diinginkan atau preferred oleh mereka. Satu cara pelaksanaan yang menarik perhatian aku dan tak tersenarai dalam Kaedah-Kaedah Mahkamah 2012 adalah kaedah Name and Shame.

Kaedah ini dikhususkan kepada syarikat-syarikat yang mempunyai jumlah terhutang yang boleh jadi oleh kerana gangguan meter (terma yang selalu buat aku tergelak kerana dalam kepala aku terfikir meter kena rasuk) atau tunggakan bil yang mana jumlah terhutang itu akan disiarkan dalam satu artikel di akhbar. Aku tak pasti going rate untuk artikel surat khabar tapi pastinya jauh lebih murah dari memulakan prosiding penggulungan. Dari segi risiko saman malu dan perkara-perkara berkenaan aku tak nak komen, itu kerja legal department syarikat utility itulah. Sama ada berkesan atau tidak aku tak pasti kerana memang tak pernah buat lagi Name & Shame dan juga mengambil kira zaman sekarang ini rasa malu itu sangat-sangat kurang, itu yang aku nak cuba fikirkan sekarang ini sambil baru habis menderaf satu surat Representasi ni.

Masa kecil dahulu name and shame ini memang senjata ibu bapa untuk memastikan anak-anak itu ikut norma dan nilai-nilai masyarakat sebagai contoh, kalau budak umur dah nak masuk tadika tapi masih ke sana ke mari dengan puting dimulut nanti ada saja mulut yang berkata: ehhh tak maluu. 

Bilakan dah bersekolah nanti name and shame itu diguna untuk memacu prestasi akademik di samping masih lagi untuk memastikan nilai-nilai masyarakat itu diikuti. Sebagai contoh: tak buat kerja sekolah esoknya di ceramah cikgu depan kelas dan kena berdiri atas kerusi. Kalau nasib tak baik, balik rumah pula ada appointment dengan rotan. Malu itu adalah salah satu alat untuk memastikan conformity dan memastikan anak keturunan kita tak membuat faux pas tanpa sedar.

Bila dah makin besar walau dah boleh berfikir sendiri ayat lazim yang akan keluar tak dari bibir mak bapak (tak pun dalam kepala sendiri) kalau nak buat sesuatu yang diluar norma adalah: nanti apa pulak dikata orang. Betul ada benda yang diikut, diamal semua yang tak efisien. Sebagai contoh, kalau nak kahwin adat Melayunya kena merisik dulu. Sudahnya merisik kena bertunang pula. Bila bertunang itu ditanda pula tunangan itu dengan cincin. Walhal kalau ikut efisien dan kalau ikut hukumnya, kalau nak skip terus pada nikah pun tak ada masalah kalau mak bapaknya kedua belah pihak dah setuju. Tapi, nanti apa pula dikata orang melanggar adat.

Aku tak ingat kat mana atau siapa yang cakap (kindly verify this): customs are solutions to problems that we forgot. Merisik itu sefaham aku adalah mekanisma untuk kedua belah keluarga saling kenal mengenal dan indirectly, untuk memastikan yang kita bukan bercinta dengan sepupu rapat sendiri. Ini bukan Alabama. Jem brader kalau bercinta bagai nak rak lepastu dapat tau yang dijanji sehidup semati itu sepupu dekat sendiri. Bertunang itu pula aku umpamakan macam mendaftarkan kaveat di pejabat tanah sebelum pindahmilik dibuat supaya tak ada pula pihak ketiga (baca: kekasih lama) datang menyondol.  Cincin itu bagai papan tanda yang kata trespassers will be shot tapi ada je yang menyondol juga kadang-kadang. Kalau tak masakan bersepah lagu jiwang karat pasal ada orang ketiga.

Kalau kenduri pula adatnya kena berpelamin, belah laki ada belah perempuan pun ada. Walau tak dicakap, bilangan jemputan itu jadi ukuran. Lagi gah lagi tinggi darjat, jadi arms race makbapak sedangkan walimah itu sunnah dan dianjurkan berserdehana, yang berkahwinnya pula menangis dalam senyap. Ialah, terpaksa bergolok gadai untuk kenduri kerana takut nanti apa pula dikata orang. Kejap, kenapa aku sembang pasal kahwin? Ah yes, conformity.

Betul malu itu senjata orang beriman. Malu itu ada nilainya tapi kalau kena pada tempatnya. Bagi aku tiada erti malu dalam mengejar ilmu, tak ada soalan bodoh melainkan orang yang kekal bodoh kerana malu bertanya soalan. Tak malu mengaku kau tak tahu jawapan (melainkan soalannya satu tambah satu itu berapa). Lagi malu kalau terkantoi kau bagi jawapan memandai-mandai pastu tak betul. Tak ada juga soal malu bila mengaku kesalahan kau dan kau berubah. Salah sekali bukan salah selamanya. Malu tu kalau salah berkali-kali dan kesalahannya sama aja. Tak timbul soal malu atau maruah bila menegakkan yang hak. Berani kerana benar, takut kerana salah walau sekarang ini macam dah terbalik. Yang salah berani, yang benar pulak takut. Malu melanggar adat ini aku tak setuju. Kenapa nak malu melanggar adat yang tak mampu kau jujung dan membebankan kau tapi bila ditahan polis tepi jalan kerana cukai jalan tamat tempoh tak malu pula kau menghulur douceur[1].

Mana pegi rasa malu bila ada skandal kandang lembu berubah rupa menjadi apartment mewah? Atau bila terbongkar kes yang semua tahu sampai berbondong datang ke Mahkamah melolong Malu apa bossku! untuk kau. Atau bila terkantoi daging lembu entah mana asal terus tiba-tiba ada cop halal JAKIM? Atau sebenarnya menghulur douceur (damn, I really like the term) itu sebenarnya memang adat walau ditegah syarak which begs the question mana yang lagi utama? Islam dulu baru Melayu ke atau Melayu dahulu baru Islam?

Ok, mungkin aku tak patut menghakimi secara total. Antara tiga contoh nasional itu satu senyap terus tak tahu apa jadi, dua belum tamat lagi. Jadi mungkin belum tiba masa untuk malu ataupun malu itu sudahpun expired. Old news, time to move on to a new source of outrage.

Boleh jadi juga malu itu hanya untuk yang tak berkuasa dan tak punya apa untuk disogok sebab itu sahaja yang dimiliki. Mungkin sebab itu naming and shaming mereka yang punya segalanya tak kiralah orang perseorangan atau syarikat yang gah itu umpama mencurah garam ke laut. Tak terkesan. Tak terconteng arang dimuka bila kau punya harta atau kuasa kerana harta atau kuasa akan menyuci segala. Tapi kalau kau kasta rendah tak punya apa? Malu lah kau sampai mati. Sebab itu je yang kau ada. Rasa malu.

Mungkin sebab itu kita berlumba-lumba nak jadi kaya, nak berkuasa. Sebab nak keluar dari penjara malu.

 

---

[1] Inducement, Bribe. The French got it right in one word. Hell of a pun.

The Quality of Mercy

 The Quality of Mercy

 

The quality of mercy is not strain'd.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The thronèd monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptered sway.
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute to God Himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this:
That in the course of justice none of us
Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea,
Which, if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.

— Portia, in William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, act 4, scene 1

 

Aku tau pasal The Merchant of Venice pun sebab dulu main CRPG yang berlatarbelakangkan Zaman Pembaharuan yang terhenti kerana Alam Fana dicerobohi Alam Ghaib (Cari: Lionheart Legacy of the Crusader. Shit combat system but damn good story. Antara produk terakhir Black Isle Studio sebelum gulung tikar) di mana si Shakespeare adalah penulis fakap di Barcelona yang kerana kehilangan Musenya (seekor Pixie dalam sangkar). Tak hilang pun sebenarnya. Cuma jadi cagaran sebagai pinjaman yang dibuat dengan Shylock si Along pinjaman wang. Dalam alam Lionheart, The Merchant of Venice pula ditulis sebagai The Merchant of Barcelona sebagai kutukan keras kepada si Shylock.

Terima kasih kepada Google kerana membuatkan teks penuh Merchant of Venice tersedia untuk aku baca.

Anyway,

Bila mula mengamal undang-undang, aku teringat kembali pada ‘plea in mitigation’ Portia seperti di atas. Banyak kali aku terfikir untuk menggunapakai ayat-ayat sakti si Portia ini dalam mitigasi pengurangan hukuman tapi selalunya tak jadi. Satunya, takut Majistret naik menyampah pasal ambik masa lama sangat nak baca. Duanya, sebab menyimpang dari kebiasaannya yang mungkin boleh ‘backfire’ pada anak guam. Elok boleh dapat denda tiba-tiba dapat penjara sebab peguam nak deklamasi ayat-ayat si Shakespeare. Mungkin suatu hari akan tiba saat yang sesuai untuk aku guna pakai ayat-ayat Portia ini.

Aku letak bait-bait di atas bukan nak cerita pasal CRPG ataupun The Merchant of Venice, tapi nak bercerita tentang Belas Ihsan (Mercy). Ini kerana pagi tadi kali pertama aku membuat permohonan kepada Mahkamah Industri untuk satu tuntutan pembuangan tidak sah dibuang kes.

Mahkamah Industri mempunyai kuasa untuk ‘strike out’ atau mendaftarkan semula sesebuah kes dihadapannya di bawah Seksyen 29 (fa) Akta Hubungan Perusahaan 1967 (‘’IRA 67’’) yang menyatakan seperti berikut:

 

29  Power of the Court

The Court may, in any proceedings before it-

..

(fa) order a case to be struck off or reinstated; and

Bagaimana nak membuat permohonan itu ada bermacam school of thought. Ada otai Industrial Court yang kata memadai dengan menulis surat ke mahkamah. Ada caselaw pula yang menunjukkan permohonan difailkan dan disokong dengan affidavit. Yang pastinya, prosedurnya memang tak tertulis dalam Akta atau Peraturan. Jadi bila berhadapan dengan situasi begini aku beranggapan bahawa Seksyen 30(5) IRA 67 akan prevail over all others;

 

(5) The Court shall act according to equity, good conscience and the substantial merits of the case without regard to technicalities and legal form.

 

Lalu aku pun berhujah secara oral kenapa kes perlu dibuang. To hell with technicalities (its in the Act).

Pengadu diwakili peguam yang mana telah hadir pada setiap sebutan kes yang mana dah berjumlah empat (4) kali termasuk pagi ini, iaitu hampir setengah tahun ataupun 6 bulan sudah diberikan kepada pengadu untuk memfailkan Penyataan Kes. Bukan sahaja tak difailkan Penyata Kes (aku syak sebab tak terima bayaran fi guaman), pagi ini peguam pengadu sendiri tak hadir ke Mahkamah (aku syak sebab tak dibayar fi guaman). Jangankan emel, call jurubahasa pun tidak. Pada setiap kali sebutan peguam pengadu berjanji akan memfailkan Penyata Kes tapi janji tinggal janji. Kalau betul Pengadu serius mengenai tuntutannya mengapa ambil mudah peluang demi peluang yang diberikan oleh Mahkamah sampai peguam pengadu pun tak hadir ke Mahkamah. Maka ini adalah satu situasi dimana kuasa Mahkamah dibawah Seksyen 29 (fa) IRA 67 wajar digunapakai.

Lebih kurang macam itulah hujahan aku tapi Yang Arif nampak reluctant untuk strike out kes dengan alasan Pengadu diwakili oleh peguam dan peguam Pengadu hadir pada setiap tarikh sebutan. Jadi aku sebagai peguam perlu bertimbangrasa dengan rakan peguam yang lain. Aku jawab: 

‘’Yang Arif, I am well aware that the Claimant is represented. Just as my learned friend for the Claimant I am sure is aware of the Mention date this morning and yet is not here to attend it. It is almost 10.30 and I believe this court has a full trial after this. I do not wish to take any more of this Court’s time with this case.

Yang Ariff suruh aku duduk dan berbisik (pada jurubahasa dan juga pada mike pada masa yang sama jadi satu bilik mahkamah boleh dengar): Claimant solicitor tak ada hantar surat extension? Call? Anything filed at all? Jurubahasa geleng kepala. Yang Arif mengeluh. Dia kemudian menulis lama, entah apa yang diminitkan dalam fail sebelum dengan suara perlahan merekodkan kes dibatalkan. Aku tunduk akur, ucap apa yang patut sebelum lari ke Mahkamah Kuala Lumpur untuk satu lagi kes yang aku tengah stand down. Syukur ada penamatnya pada belas ihsan Mahkamah pada si Pengadu.

Sambil melayan mengantuk pagi itu aku berfikir;

Kenapa selalunya belas ehsan itu pergi pada mereka yang tak reti untuk menghargainya? Boleh sidai Mahkamah sampai 6 bulan. Kenapa eh? Kenapa bila saat kita perlukan belas ehsan itulah, that discretion, that which seasons justice, tiba-tiba diputuskan bukanlah untuk kita? Why?

Tepat-tepat 10.30 aku sampai ke KL Court. Ada satu Bicara Taksiran (BT) Saman Penghutang Penghakiman di salah satu Mahkamah Majistret. Ini lagi satu kes. Penghutang Penghakiman (JD) sudah dimaklumkan tarikh Bicara hampir sebulan sebelumnya lagi kerana Saman Penghutang Penghakiman kebiasaannya disampaikan secara kediri (personal) tapi bila ditelefon akak PIC fail tersebut, pagi bicara itu lah kereta tiba-tiba uzur, dan lain-lain alasan. Ai, tarikh BT dah diberitahu hampir sebulan, sangat cukup masa untuk dibuat apa-apa arrangement untuk hadir ke Mahkamah.

Secara pendeknya, Saman Penghutang Penghakiman atau Judgment Debtor Summons ini adalah salah satu cara melaksanakan (execute) sebuah penghakiman yang telah diperolehi di Mahkamah, kebiasaannya di Mahkamah rendah kerana kalau jumlah terhutang sudah melebihi RM 100,000.00, Kalau individu, bankrapkan aja di Mahkamah Tinggi Kebankrapan. Kalau Syarikat, lebih dari cukup untuk digulungkan syarikatnya di Mahkamah Tinggi Insolvensi. Saman Penghutang Penghakiman ini mengarahkan si JD untuk hadir ke Mahkamah untuk terangkan pada Mahkamah kenapa jumlah penghakiman masih tak diselesaikan walaupun Penghakiman telah disampaikan kepada mereka ini.

Sejujurnya, seorang orang perseorangan yang mempunyai jumlah penghakiman kurang dari RM 100,000.00 aku kira jatuh di bawah twilight zone pelaksanaan melainkan ada gadaian tanah. Sebab penal effect mana-mana tindakan pelaksanaan yang dikenakan itu umpama di bebel Hakim atau Majistret semata-mata. Kau tak patuh Perintah Persetujuan atau arahan pembayaran yang ditentukan mahkamah pun akan kena bebel sahaja. Kebarangkalian dipenjarakan kerana menghina Mahkamah (contempt of court) itu rendah. Bersepah case law yang mengatakan Mahkamah akan berat hati untuk memenjarakan si penghina itu (mercy again). Dibankrapkan? Tak lama pun, cukup 3 tahun nanti dilepas dari kebankrapan. Terima kasih kepada pindaan kepada Akta Kebankrapan (kini dikenali sebagai Akta Insolvensi) dan polisi kerajaan yang nak meminimumkan jumlah orang yang dibankrapkan, the Law is now all bark and no bite. Melainkan ada gadaian tanah untuk pinjaman sebab bila ada gadaian ini tak payah panjang cerita, langgar syarat gadaian, terus lelong. Selalunya JD akan cuba untuk setel hutang sebelum tanah gadaian itu terjual dek lelongan.

Pada hari-hari biasa aku akan bersangka baik sebab ada yang datang ke Bicara Taksiran ini setakat aku buat adalah isteri yang tak tau apa-apa sebab si suami buat pinjaman atas nama isteri, pakcik makcik yang dah sangat uzur yang disaman sebab penyewa memandai usik meter (kalau kes TNB), mereka yang mulakan perniagaan betul-betul sebelum wabak COVID19, tempoh masa traumatic yang memang menjahanamkan banyak perniagaan-perniagaan, ibu tunggal yang buat pinjaman untuk mulakan perniagaan sebab bekas suami tak bagi nafkah. Jadi hati aku memang lembut untuk insan-insan sebegini tapi bukan hari ini.

Aku ada diberitahu akak kerani yang jaga fail bahawa JD ni liat nak terima penyampaian Saman Penghutang Penghakiman (JDS) siap guna alasan laki dia beritau takut jadi mangsa scam. Scam kejadahnya apa, nak serah dokumen Mahkamah yang dah dimeterai, bukan mintak butiran perbankan kau. Mahu dua-tiga kali juga penyampai proses datang ke rumah baru nak terima JDS. Berlatarbelakangkan itu, aku dan akak PIC bersependapat yang JD ini sangat berpotensi untuk tak hadir ke Mahkamah dan kesudahannya memang tak hadir pun. Kali pertama ditelefon untuk memastikan kehadiran, dicakapnya tengah dalam perjalanan. Bila aku dah sampai ke perkarangan Mahkamah Kuala Lumpur, akak PIC call JD lagi: katanya kereta ada masalah. Berhenti tepi jalan. Bila aku sampai ke bilik mahkamah, akak PIC WhatsApp beritahu aku: JD kata mintak next date. Siap telefon Mahkamah beritahu yang dia patah balik rumah kerana takut kereta mati tengah jalan. Oh the audacity of it! 

Silap haribulan tayar kereta memang tak bergolek pun dari mula.

Mahkamah pun bersedia dengan kebarangkalian macam ini, oleh itu selalunya, amalan di Mahkamah Kuala Lumpur adalah untuk menetapkan Bicara Taksiran itu bersama-sama dengan pengurusan kes secara E-Review (macam WhatsApp dengan Mahkamah tapi tak ada functionality untuk berkongsi emoji dan.gif) jadi kalau JD tak hadir untuk BT secara fizikal, peguam pemiutang penghakiman (JC) boleh sama ada minta perintah tangkap dikeluarkan atau minta tarikh baru melalui sistem E-Review itu. 

Aku taip panjang lebar pada Majistret apa yang jadi pada pagi tadi tekan kan kembali yang tarikh bicara taksiran diberikan sebulan yang lepas, JD jelas diarahkan untuk hadir ke Mahkamah. Kenapa JD tidak buat arrangement untuk hadir ke Mahkamah? Kalau tak dapat hadir ke Mahkamah, kenapa tidak maklumkan seawal mungkin agar boleh BT dibuat melalui aplikasi ZOOM, benda boleh dibuat awal. Jadi aku pohon bagi satu perintah tangkap dikeluarkan terhadap JD. Biar bila Bailiff datang ketuk pintu rumah baru JD ini yakin yang ini bukan scam.

Tapi, iya, mercy droppeth like gentle rain lalu Majistret tetapkan tarikh baru untuk BT, and my (invisible) tears drippeth for my wasted hours. Apa nak buat, telan aja lah

So again I ask, why? Why show mercy for the clearly undeserving?

Dulu aku pernah diberitahu yang tunduk bila masuk ke Mahkamah itu hormatnya bukan pada Mahkamah tapi apa yang diwakili oleh Mahkamah iaitu Tuhan. Bila dah season sikit ni baru terpikir, macam tak tepat je. Bukan tang tunduk hormat tu, tapi tang Mahkamah menjadi representasi Tuhan dalam menghakimi. Mahkamah boleh terkhilaf (see: FC decision yang kata Islamic Finance Agreements is still valid even if its not in compliance with Syariah principles. Tak ingat nama kes dan citation dia, kau cari sendiri). 

Takkan kau nak cakap Tuhan boleh terkhilaf? No no. I beg to differ.  

Entah. Bila dah petang sikit, sejuk sikit hati baru terlintas dihati boleh apa yang aku nampak sebagai aplikasi belas ehsan tak kena pada tempatnya adalah pada pandangan aku semata, aku cuma nampak bayangan di dinding gua. Perspektif terbatas and all that. Mungkin satu hari nanti akan dapat dilihat dari semua sudut.

Until then maybe I should shut up and get back to work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listing it Out

Going Off

 

Tomorrow I will go off for a short break since God knows when. I hope I can switch off my working brain. The past two weeks has been filled with reminders on the fragility of life and the need to live one’s life to the fullest; to appreciate that one single life you have. 

Despite my reluctance, how the break came to be (free tickets wohoo!) was just another reminder from the Universe for me to take a damn break from the constant need to make a living and live my life.

I have nothing legal related to say about, not at this moment. Given that I am going off to live a little in a few hours, perhaps a list of truism and cliches on life that I have read, heard or discovered (belatedly) will do.

 

• Work is part of life, it is not the total sum of your existence.
• The bigger/ longer the Serban the more cautious you should be of the things coming out of the wearer’s mouth.
• Titles are just labels. Just as items can be mislabelled, so can an undeserving be bestowed a title.
• You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need (re: the song by The Rolling Stones)
• Every problem has two handles. Choose the one you can handle the problem with.
• When in doubt, do an online file search on a successful case that matches your own (This one just came to mind)
• Bigger you are the harder you fall (Lose that fat!)
• Dependency on substances are crutches for the  perfectly upright.
• Nasik tastes better with a dollop of tempoyak and ground up cili api but;
• Everything (and everyone) has its price. Make sure yours is the kind no one would be willing to pay. 

Band-ing the Law

A good friend of mine who was a KL court regular once told me a story of a friend of his who was also a legal practitioner whose name I had forgotten. Let us just call him John.

Now, John had a full trial on one particular morning at one of the high courts in KL Court Complex, and he was already in court and had everything ready. His cross exam questions, the bundles, the file itself and his stationeries and stacks of A4 printing papers which he used for writing on. No pads or laptops for him for old school was his school.

He was ready to rumble that morning except for the fact that he could not find his bands. That polyester thing you have wrapped around your neck when you have a matter in High Court. He had somehow lost the thing despite having turned his car upside down looking for it. Robed up but still not completely dressed for open court according to the dress code, all for want of a pair of bands.

The clock showed that it is 5 minutes to 9 am. No time for him to beg for, borrow or rent a pair of bands from anyone or anywhere before the Court is in session. The old adage that necessity is the mother of all inventions hold true that morning. He had the ingenuity and quickness of mind in the 5 minutes to remember that he had a stack of A4 papers with him and that the dress code only requires robe and bands (or bib) for open court matter in High Court. It was never specified what kind of band it should be. After a quick snip snap there with a pair of scissors and a bit of sellotape , Lo and Behold! A PAIR OF DISPOSABLE BANDS!

He had the peculiar pair of bands on throughout the trial that day, it was not known whether he carried the day. If the Yang Arif noticed that John’s bands looked out of the ordinary he was too well bred to say anything about it, after all suspicion is not proof. Same goes with John’s fellow practitioners in the courtroom and his opponent who saw the creation of the pair of bands. At all times one must keep in mind the legal maxim that what the law does not prohibit, it allows. Who is to challenge the authenticity of John’s pair of bands even if it is abnormally papery (arguably of natural fiber origin instead of the usual polyester) when the maker is present in court? It looks like a pair of bands ergo it is a pair of bands.

Upon the telling of the tale, we who sat around the table hooted and sniggered and chuckled and sipped on our Teh Tarik for we were at the court cafeteria, and it was the time between the old (criminal) cases are called at 9 am and new ones are called at around 10 or 11.30 am. Enough time for tea and a smoke. The table moved on to another juicy lawyerly gossip and I treated the story as one of those you hear but no one can confirm it really happen: fiction so to speak. However in time, it was for me to turn fiction into fact.

Years and years later I had a simple withdrawal of representation hearing at one of KL’s High Court by way of Zoom and I elected to attend it at my room in the office as I had cause papers to draft and legal opinions to issue afterwards. I had the hearing cause paper and my robes ready but for the life of me I cannot locate the darned bands. Just so happens that no one else in the office had their bands with them on that particular day. It wouldn’t be so bad if it happened at KL Court as you can rent a pair of bands from the Bar Room or buy a new one at the bookshop at B1. Sometimes I do feel like it is my lot in life for all these incidences to happen to me but bemoaning my Fate will not change anything. While I was cracking my brains, turning my car upside down in search of the missing bands, thinking where in the world can I find a spare pair of bands within 10 minutes, the story came back to me and I thought to myself:

Why not?  It is worth a try. I have at least 10 minutes before the hearing and we do have boxes of A4 paper for the printer/photocopier and I do have a pair of scissors, somewhere.

So there I was, attending a hearing with a pair of paper bands of my own fashioning, all the while trying to remain stock still to make sure that the damned thing won’t look too suspiciously handmade on video. I even switched off the AC to avoid any unwanted fluttering. If the judge noticed it, he said nothing about it. The hearing concluded and I taped the paper bands to my wall as a reminder that sometimes things can go wrong and we must make do with what we have and that sometimes, a pair of paper bands are better than no bands at all.

Ever since then I have always made sure my bands are where I knew they would be within reach and I keep a spare ream of A4 paper handy. Just in case.

 

Note:

Bar Council Circular No 004/2012 states that the Male Attire among others should consist of:

Kemeja Lengan panjang warna putih dengan wing collar warna putih dan bib.

(Shirt) White long sleeves with white wing collar and bib.

 

Short Note from The Road- Silver

 

Bulan Puasa

Ada satu hari pada minggu kedua Ramadhan yang sangat panas. Panas rimas hingga aku terasa nak potong rambut. Jadi aku gunapakai pemotong rambut bagi tujuan itu. Lega. Bila mengemas rerambut yang bersepahan itu baru aku perasan banyak rambut yang bukan lagi hitam. Jadi aku membuat rumusan yang putih itu bukan rambut aku, rambut jiran kut, tak pun bulu kucing (aku selalunya potong di luar rumah pasal senang nak sapu dan memang akan ada kucing-kucing kejiranan yang lalu lalang). Rambut aku kekal hitam, kerana hitam itu bergaya.

Kemudian, bila bermulanya bulan Ramadhan satu perkara yang tak pernah berlaku telah berlaku. Lesu itu pasti dan selalu. Tapi Micro Sleep, itu tak pernah berlaku. Micro sleep yang berlaku di mana-mana dan tak kira bila walaupun cukup tidur dan lengkap bersahur segala. Hampir setiap hari, Hinggakan nak kemana-mana di siang hari aku memandu perlahan dan dengan tingkap diturunkan. Mungkin kerana tak dapat kopi kut, aku sedapkan hati.

Entahkan kenapa kali ini Ramadan penuh cabaran. Hati kecil mengejek perlahan: kau dah mula tua kot. Jiwa ego pulak membentak: diamlah! Aku masih lagi muda remaja. Kalau nak panjat gunung pun boleh sangat (padahal tangan dok mengurut lembut lutut yang berdenyut)

 

Raya

Bukanlah lama sangat rasanya tak balik ke kampung tapi kali ni rasa sedikit hiba. Ada sahaja lalu-lalang bila mengembara dek kerja. Mungkin Hari Raya itu ada membawa realitinya sendiri. A pocket dimension for you to contemplate on things. Banyak sangat perubahan yang dah berlaku. Traffic jam, outlet-outlet di bandar besar dah ada di pekan, malas nak tapau dari kedai kopi? Grabkan sahaja; Penyakit bandar dah menular ke pekan-pekan kecil. Small town charm wearing thin. Rumah-rumah kampung tinggal dipanjat tumbuhan menjalar, bersih cuma kalau masih ada yang ingat jalan pulang. Yang tinggal cuma hantu-hantu, tikus dan serangga dan ingatan terpahat dikayu dan batuan rumah.

Bonda depan rumah ditukar menjadi longkang. Selalu kering katanya, walhal dulu penuh ikan dan udang air tawar. Pepohon manggis dan rambutan rimbun habis ditebang. Iyalah, bila ada  yang buat harta bersama macam harta sendiri punya, apa lagi nak dikata.

Makcik yang dulu gagah sekarang letih bertongkat. Pakcik yang gemar buat dad joke masih lagi berbuat yang sama dicelah-celah ceritanya yang berulang-ulang dan berulang-ulang, mungkin petanda awal nyanyuk menyelinap. Makin lama makin kurang yang pulang ke kampung. Sudah dijemput pulang ke Alam Abadi atau sudah menjadi GrandMaster atau Pater Familias klan sendiri, punya kampung sendiri.  

Yang pasti rambut mereka tiada yang hitam, kelabu jauh sekali. Putih semata semuanya. Masa dan takdir mengejar sentiasa. Everyone is so old now. 

Melawan masa dan takdir itu cerita paling tua dalam dunia. Tak kira zaman akan ada iteration atau medium nya. Epik Gilgamesh. Maharaja Qin Shi Huang Di yang galak menelan pil-pil raksa kerana nak hidup selamanya atas nasihat tabib (barangkali antara kes terawal medical negligence). Filem-filem Hollywood yang mana hero-hero aksi old skool yang sudah secara berjemaah bikin filem untuk kekal relevan di zaman CGI kaw-kaw (Francais Expendables), penulisan Sir Terry Pratchett: The Last Hero tentang Ghenghiz Cohen si hero tua ganyut dengan Silver Hordenya yang mau melawan dewa-dewa kerana enggan menua. 

Bukan semua boleh menerima usia, bukan semua dapat berkawan dengan takdir.

 

Tadi

Hampir seharian aku dengan kawan di atas jalan. Jauhnya tidaklah jugak tapi penatnya bukan main lagi, walaupun bukan aku yang memandu. Semuanya demi mengejar lead berpotensi bagi satu kes general litigation di luar bandar. Cerita awalnya macam boleh ke Mahkamah Tinggi, pasang caveat dan berbagai lagi moves dan counter moves yang mungkin boleh digunapakai bagi kes berebut tanah.

Sesampainya di sana, bercerita tentang kes hanya setengah jam. Selebihnya dok mendengar si polan bercerita pasal dirinya. Biasalah, bila umur menjangkau 60-an (bukan aku, aku muda lagi) ada saja nasihat ingin diberi, ada saja cerita nak disampai. Hinggakan terdetik dalam hati; mereka laki bini ini sunyi.

Rumahnya besar, biliknya banyak tapi sepi. Tinggal hanya berdua suami isteri. Anak-anak sudah besar panjang. Tiada pula yang pulang menjenguk. Betul jangkaan aku: lagaknya seolah-olah tak mahu kami pulang. Habis secawan teh disuruh bertambah berkali. Habis sekeping kek disuanya lagi. Memang kedatangan kami beriya-iya dirai. Hinggakan bila benar-benar kami perlu pulang demi mengelak jalan masuk ke Kuala Lumpur sesak (tambahan lagi dengan Si Xi Jinping datang bertandang), diulang beberapa kali: nanti datang lagi, bawa anak dan isteri. Like I said, sunyi. Harapnya jangan jadi pada aku dan isteri nanti saat mata pun naik kelabu dan bila rambut hitam menjadi putih.

 

Short Note from the Road 2- Book-It

 

Yesterday I bought a law textbook and I am happy to report, the book is as thick as a brick. Owing to the steep price tag usually attached to law books (because they are as thick as a brick most of the time), I tend to hover around law libraries most of the time in search for law books on specialized topics and to read and browse law books and law journals to my heart’s content. (Long live libraries!)

As such, the purchase of a brick-thick law book is often an epochal event for me as they often mark the crossing of a threshold for me, another hill conquered, another river crossed. Something like that. 

The first law book I bought was when I decided to jump in head first into trial related briefs. This new one I bought yesterday reaffirmed my commitment to the art and science of conducting trials. Now I am comfortable enough to proclaim myself to be a journeyman in conducting trials.

The book I bought yesterday was written sometime before the fall of Berlin Wall, at around the time shoulder pads were making a comeback in women's fashion. It is because of that and the yellowing tone of the tome and not because of my haggling skills, I got a nice discount for it.

The book however was on the list of books a trial practitioner should have according to a senior practitioner. In fact, most of the books on the list are just that. Old and yellowing, seemingly decades out of date but nevertheless evergreen in its content.

There are more recent editions, sure but one thing I am coming realize about the Law so far is that though judicial opinions differs from time to time and over myriad of issues, at the heart of it the Law is about achieving fair and just outcome for the parties involved deriving from our own inane sense of right and wrong but in legalese; the "why" part of the Law. Because of that, the fundamentals of the Law rarely changes.

It is the "how" part, the part where we apply the Law that tends to differ from time to time as it is a matter of interpretation by the court. Judicial opinion, a judge's say so: a judgment. What was a good interpretation of the law 10 years ago could be overruled in tomorrow hence the many editions of a same book.

But even then, once in a while in comes a judgment so profound in its truth, so elegantly wrought that both judges and lawyers alike could not help but to agree with the said judgment thereby setting a long list of application throughout the years, just like that snail in a bottle case. Damned if I can remember the name right now. I am after all typing is up at some ungodly hour of the night. 

In legal research references to online legal database maybe the end stage but the start off point is always to hit the books no matter how old and yellowing it may be. Besides, where enlightment is the goal the fun is in the hunt for the relevant case, the joy is in the research. Cracking open and consulting an old yellowing tome always gave me that magical, wizardly feel. You can't get the same rush from staring at a screen and there is something about reading, underlining and highlighting an actual book that help things to stick better and longer in my mind. Some psycho-somatic thingy perhaps. But that is me, I might be the weirdo who enjoy all these digging and communing with the dead (and not so dead, aka the act of reading).

In any event, a law book is a lawyer's stave, our parang, our multitool without which we would be severely ill-equipped to perform our duties to our utmost abilities in service of the Law. Besides, if all else fails the heft of one is good enough in defence of our person (chuck it, swing it with both hands and let the full weight of the Law prevailover your assailant) Perhaps some DPP with very liberal interpretation of offensive weapon might classify it as one under Act 356 but the same can be said for a small jar of Sambal Berapi Nyet (hurt to your..exit that is) but in the end of course the Court interpretation will hold sway.

Anyway,

This long age will roll on, governments change, the Sea level may rise, humanity might sprout another set of limbs but books are here to stay like it has for thousand of years. Physical books that is. Them duo thingy don't work so well with me.