Strengthening Capacity for Environmental Law in Malaysia’s Judiciary: Train-the-Judges Program

10 - 13 July 2017

Event Tabs

ADB, the National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), Environment Institute of Malaysia, and the Judicial and Legal Training Institute conducted a training course for session court judges hearing environmental law cases. Topics focused on umbrella strategic level areas that are helpful in deciding any kind of environmental case e.g., (i) evidence in environmental cases, (ii) environmental forensics, and (iii) remedies in environmental cases.

Day 1: 10 July 2017

1. Opening Ceremony + Introduction to the Course

 
8:30 – 9:15

Opening ceremony – ILKAP Theatrette

  • Doa Recite
  • Speeches by representatives of ADB, IUCNAEL, ILKAP, and EIMAS
  • Signing of Agreements
  • Group photo
 
9:15 – 9:30

Short Break

 
9:30 – 10:30

Introduction of trainers - ELF/EIMAS/ILKAP (Hanim Kamaruddin)

Introduction of participants (ELF Trainers**)

* Program will be conducted at MTCP ** Hanim, Normawati, Norha and Maizatun

 
10:30 – 10:45

Introduction to the course - Explanation of (Hanim Kamaruddin):

  • Course purpose and structure/content
  • Concept of training outcomes
 
10:45 – 11:00
Tea Break
 

2. Building Environmental Judicial Champions

 
11:00 – 11:40
  • Video Presentation related to judicial interest in environmental law (Hanim Kamaruddin, Courtesy of the Right Honourable Mr. Justice YAA Tan Sri Richard Malanjum)
  • Philippine's rules of procedure for envi cases and experience in judicial capacity building (Gregorio Rafael P. Bueta)
 

3. Environment

 
11:40 – 12:20
  • Drafting exercise on definition of “Environment”. (Maizatun Mustafa, ELF trainers)
  • Participants to be divided into groups of 5 to draft legislative definition of “environment”. (15 mins)
  • Each group to write-up their feedback and to discuss ( 15 mins) definition.
 

4. National Environmental Issues

 
12:20 – 1:00
  • Participants divided into 5 groups (to identify up to 5 national environmental issues. (10 mins,  Hanim Kamaruddin, ELF trainers to assist small groups)
  • Each group to select 1 or 2 persons for a 5 minute report back to the class (20 mins)
 
1:00 – 2:00

Lunch

 

5. Introduction to Environmental Law and the Judiciary: Goals, Objects & Principles

 
2:00 – 2:35
  • Presentation: The Judiciary and Environmental Justice (Normawati Norha, ELF trainers)
  • Goals: Developing roles for the judiciary (10 mins)
  • Drafting exercise on definition of ‘the role of judiciary in environmental cases’
  • Participants to be divided into groups of 5 to draft role of judiciary (15 mins)
  • Each group to write-up their feedback and to discuss (10 mins)
 
2:35 – 3:30
  • Federal Constitution - Federal and State jurisdiction (10 mins, Normawati Norha, ELF trainers)
  • Participants to divide into 5 groups for a structured discussion to identify relevant national laws and regulations in protecting the environment and relating these to actual cases heard at the courts. (20 mins)
  • Overview of relevant national measures
    • Land (including indigenous land rights)
    • Water
    • Forests
    • Minerals and petroleum
    • Fisheries
  • Feedback from participants (25 mins)
 
3:30 – 3:45
Tea Break
 

6. Access to Justice

 
3:45 – 4:00

Presentation: Access to justice and public participation in environmental cases (Normawati Norha)

 
4:00 – 4:15
  • Participants to divide into 5 groups for discussion with trainers re relevance of presentation to access to justice and public participation (Normawati Norha, ELF trainers)
  • Feedback from participants
 
4:15 – 4:45

Industrial emissions, application of laws and judicial remedies (Maizatun Mustafa)

 
4:45 – 5:00

Case-study: Examination of contested development proposal involving a judicial decision: Bakun Dam (Malaysia) (20mins + 10 mins Q &As, Hanim Kamaruddin)

 

Day 2: 11 July 2017

7. Environmental Protection Law

 
9:00 – 9:25
  • Presentation on environmental protection law (Normawati Norha)
  • General v specific environment protection laws
  • National – v sub-national laws - International
  • Scope of environmental protection law
  • Institutional arrangements
  • Tools: standards, approvals, licences, orders
  • Enforcement mechanisms
 
9:25 – 9:40

Participants to divide into groups for discussion with trainers regarding relevance of presentation to making judicial decisions (ELF trainers)

 
9:40 – 10:30

Air pollution tutorial exercise (participants to be allocated to 5 groups of six with ELF trainer to lead tutorial discussion, Maizatun to introduce ELF trainers)

Feedback Session:

  • participant facilitators to reflect on their efforts
  • class to give constructive feed-back to facilitators
  • feed-back by trainer to class and facilitators
  • participants to reflect on feed-back session
 
10:30 – 11:00

Tea Break

 
11:00 – 11:25

Role play (part 1): Mediation (Hanim Kamaruddin, ELF trainers)

  • Describe nature of role-play exercise and allocate participants to small groups – 5 - 6 persons + identify two participants as co-mediators (10 mins)
  • Small groups to work on their contribution to the role-play (with trainers in each group)
 

8. Judicial Training I

 
11:25 – 12:45

Environmental law in Court: Legal Practitioner perspective (Tuan Ahmad Ishrakh Bin Saad, Advocate and Solicitor Tetuan Ishrakh Saad & Co.)

 
12:45 – 2:00

Lunch

 
2:00 – 3:10

Investigation: Relevant Laws (1, Tuan Budiman Lutfi Bin Mohamed, Deputy Public Prosecutor, Attorney General Chamber)

 
3:10 – 3:30

Tea Break

 
3:30 – 5:00

Investigation: Relevant Laws (1, Tuan Budiman Lutfi Bin Mohamed, Deputy Public Prosecutor, Attorney General Chamber)

 

Day 3: 12 July 2017

9. Control, Prevention, Management and Enforcement Aspects

 
9:00 – 9:45
  • DOE Enforcement Approaches : CC vs SR (Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Kamarulnajuib)
  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (Bin Che Ibrahim)
 
9:45 – 10:30
  • Enforcement and Water Pollution Prevention in Malaysia (Puan Siti Zaleha Ibrahim)
  • Q & A
 
10:30 – 11:00
Tea Break
 
11:00 – 11:45
  • Enforcement and Waste Management in Malaysia (Puan Siti Zaleha Ibrahim)
  • Q & A
 
11:45 – 12:30
  • Enforcement and Air Pollution Prevention in Malaysia (Puan Mashitah Darus)
  • Q & A
 
12:30 – 2:15
Lunch
 

10. Field Trip

 
2:15 – 5:00

Site Visit – DENSO (DDE)

De-briefing session: (DOE, ELF trainers)

  • discussion of procedural, assessment, legal issues arising (e.g., enforcement options, citizens’ or indigenous peoples’ rights)
  • discussion of field trip as a decision making process, including rationale, logistical considerations, safety issues, and function of the de-brief
 
5:00 – 9:00

Dinner

 

Day 4: 13 July 2017

11. Judicial Training II

 
9:00 – 10:30

Development of Environmental Law: Court perspective (YA Datin Hajah Azizah Binti Haji Nawawi, High Court Judge, Kuala Lumpur)

 
10:30 – 11:00

Tea Break

 

12. Alternative Approaches to Environmental Dispute Resolution - Role-play Exercise

 
11:00 – 12:45

Participants to engage in various roles, as previously allocated, for purposes of conducting a simulated mediation exercise. (Normawati Hanim, ELF Trainers)

Class discussion:

  • feedback on the process, including some reflections and critique of the value of mediation to resolve environmental disputes (20 mins)
  • Short class discussion: participants to reflect on whether and how they might use different perspectives to make a judicial decision. (10 mins)
 
12:45 – 2:00

Lunch

 

13. The Judge's Inspiring Commitment - Role-play Exercise

 
2:00 – 3:30

Presentation: The role of the judiciary in environmental dispute resolution (Introduction by Hanim)

Full class Q & A with presenter: The Right Honourable Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum (The Right Honourable YAA Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum.)

 
3:30 – 4:00

Tea Break

 

14. Closing Session

 
4:00 – 4:30

Creation of Environmental Law Judicial Network (Normawati Norha)

 
4:30 – 4:45

Class discussion of course outcomes (ELF trainers)

 
4:45 – 4:55

Completion of Course Evaluation forms by participants (Maizatun Mustafa)

 
4:55 – 5:30

Closing Ceremony: (Hanim Kamaruddin)

  • presentation of Course Certificates (ELF trainers representatives)
  • closing speeches (The Right Honourable Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Richard Malanjum.)
Preliminary Materials

Detailed Course Outline

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Session 5. Introduction to Environmental Law and the Judiciary: Goals, Objects & Principles

The Judiciary and Environmental Justice: Assoc. Prof Dr. Norha Abu Hanifah, Faculty of Law, Universiti Teknologi MARA

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86.23 KB
 
Session 5. Introduction to Environmental Law and the Judiciary: Goals, Objects & Principles

Drafting exercise on definition of ‘the role of judiciary in environmental cases’

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42.54 KB
 
Session 5. Introduction to Environmental Law and the Judiciary: Goals, Objects & Principles

Federal and State Jurisdictions: Dr. Normawati Binti Hashim, Prof. Madya Norha Abu Hanifah ELF Member

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1.68 MB
 
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6.78 MB
 
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4.27 MB
 
Session 7: Environmental Protection Law

Role-Play (Part 1): Dr. Hanim Kamaruddin

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129.47 KB