Talk on becoming a barrister at SEGi College Sarawak

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PROFESSIONAL TALK: Foong (far left) speaks while (from left) Tiu, Maddams and Sulong listen.

ATTENTIVE: The audience at the talk.

KUCHING: A talk on ‘Becoming A Barrister: Insight into the Study of Law in the UK’ by Kuching Branch of the Advocate’s Association of Sarawak (AAS) was held at SEGi College Sarawak yesterday.

“This topic will be of a great help to our Law students studying our UK Law programme in this campus,” said college principal Elina Tiu delivering an opening speech before the talk here yesterday.

Tiu added the college was honoured to have speakers known for their authority, communiation skills and efficiency and with a high level of expertise in the legal profession, having served in the legal field for many years.

She said it was important for students to know the current entry requirements to the UK Bar.

She thanked members and officials of AAS for assisting the college in the talk attended by 200 people including the college’s Law students.

The speakers were Patrick Maddams, Tan Sri James Foong and Datuk Seri Panglima Sulong Matjeraie.

Maddams who is sub-treasurer of the Inner Temple, UK is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Inner Temple.

In England and Wales, the Inns of Court are unincorporated associations that date back to the 14th Century and has the role of recruiting and training aspiring barristers.

Together with the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board, the Inns of Court also perform supervisory and disciplinary functions over student members and hold the exclusive rights to call candidates to practise as barristers at the Bar of England and Wales.

Maddams talked about entry requirements to the Inner Temple and the training to become a barrister in the UK.

Tan Sri James Foong is a retired judge of the Federal Court of Malaysia, having served in the judiciary in the capacity of High Court judge from 1990 to 2005, as judge of the Court of Appeal Malaysia from 2005 to 2009, and Federal Court judge from 2005 until his retirement in 2012.

He was presiding judge in the Bakun Dam and Highland Towers cases, both of which received widespread attention from the media and legal commentators, nationally and abroad.

He was chairman of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the death of Teoh Beng Hock.

He shared about admissions to the University of West England in Bristol, UK and living abroad as an international student.

Datuk Seri Panglima Sulong Matjeraie is a retired judge of the Federal Court and the Apex Court of Malaysia and has more than 30 years of legal and judicial experience.

He was appointed by the prime minister as one of four eminent persons to serve on the Judicial Appointments Commission since February 2013.

He served as a member of the Malaysian Judiciary for 15 years, commencing with time as a High Court judge from 1988 to 2007, a judge of the Court of Appeal Malaysia from 2007 to 2012, and a Federal Court judge from 2012 until his retirement in January this year.

He shared his insights into the lives of judges and the role of the judiciary in general in the administration of justice.

It was a rare opportunity for students to find out about studying law in the UK as an international student.

As an added advantage to their Law students, SEGi College Sarawak ensures their programmes deliver mostly UK syllabus as a precursor to the degree programme.

This is the third event Segi jointly organised with the AAS, the previous being a talk in 2012 on entry requirements to the Sarawak Bar and more recently in March this year on the Federal Constitution of Malaysia as part of the AAS’ MyConstitution campaign to educate citizens on their rights and freedoms.

Those interested in the Law programme offered by SEGi College Sarawak are advised to logon [email protected] or call 082-252566 or walk into the campus at 211 Jalan Bukit Mata, Kuching.