In their remarks, Justice Faizal and Deputy Attorney-General Goh also stressed that it is for the elected government to decide on policy, not the courts or the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
“Our courts do not decide social policy in the abstract, but when real disputes with real consequences come before the courts, the courts must still give those answers – carefully, fairly and according to law,” said Justice Faizal.
While AGC is the government’s legal adviser and drafts government legislation, its role is not to dictate policy, said Mr Goh.
“What we do is to make sure that whatever policy that the government advances, it is clearly presented in the law in a consistent way that doesn’t contradict existing laws,” he said.
ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND “GLASS CEILING”
The panelists also spoke about access to justice, with Justice Faizal highlighting efforts like rewriting court correspondence in simpler language and allowing smaller claims to be filed and managed entirely online.
