Shaking up the legal profession

The Heat | The legal profession has always been seen as conservative and rigid. But one man is trying to change the public perception of lawyers by introducing progressive ideas to the decades-old line of work. Will it work in favour of clients? “We should be ready and embrace it rather than realise that by 2020, we are left behind,” Edmund Bon said.

Government’s appeal over Rights Day 2007 arrests thrown out

Malay Mail | The Court of Appeal upheld an earlier decision that the arrests of five lawyers, including Amer Hamzah Arshad, and an activist during a 2007 demonstration for human rights to be unlawful. The six were represented by lawyers Edmund Bon and Chan Yen Hui.

Bukan Islam tidak perlu patuh kepada titah Diraja atau fatwa, kata peguam

The Malaysian Insider | Bukan Islam tidak boleh didakwa di Mahkamah Syariah. Jadi mana-mana fatwa daripada Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan tidak terpakai kepada bukan Islam, kata peguam Edmund Bon, seperti diputuskan oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan pada 2009 dalam kes Sulaiman Takrib lawan Kerajaan Negeri Terengganu; Kerajaan Malaysia (pencelah) & Kes Lain.

Non-Muslims not bound by royal decrees or fatwa on Islam, say lawyers

The Malaysian Insider | Constitutional experts say royal decrees and fatwa are not binding on non–Muslims whose religious rights are guaranteed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. Edmund Bon pointed out that fatwa rulings or edicts were only applicable to Muslims as decided by a three-man Federal Court bench in 2009 in the case of Sulaiman Takrib.

Five lawyers, activist win suit against government over arrest

Astro Awani | The court awarded Five human rights lawyers and an activist, including Amer Hamzah Arshad, each with RM10,000 in damages, and ordered the defendants to pay a total of RM60,000 in costs to all the plaintiffs. Counsel Edmund Bon, representing the six, told reporters that the ruling was a great victory for democracy and human rights.

Human Rights Walk arrests unlawful, court rules

The Edge | KL High Court judge Datuk John Louis O’Hara found the police giving confusing, conflicting, and contradictory instructions, and awarded a total of RM120,000 in damages to each of the six plaintiffs — lawyers R. Sivarasa, N. Surendran, Latheefa Koya, Eric Paulsen, and Amer Hamzah Arshad as well as human rights activist Johny Andu @ Abu Bakar Adnan. Lawyer Edmund Bon noted this is probably the last case under section 27 of the Police Act as it has been abolished substituted with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

Six win suit against police and govt over illegal arrest and detention

The Star | The KL High Court judge held that the arrests and detention of five lawyers, including Amer Hamzah Arshad, and an activist by the police were unlawful, but dismissed the claim on malicious prosecution as it was the prerogative of the AG to initiate proceedings. Lead counsel Edmund Bon said the ruling was a great victory for democracy and human rights.

Six human rights defenders win case against gov’t

Malaysiakini | Edmund Bon represented six plaintiffs who filed a suit against the acting Dang Wangi OCPD, the IGP, the Home Ministry, and the government for unlawful detention and arrest. KL High Court judge John Louis O’Hara agreed that the arresting officer gave conflicting, contradictory, and confusing instructions, and the detainees were not allowed to consult a legal representative.

Police acted unlawfully in arresting lawyers, activists, court rules

The Malaysian Insider | The KL High Court ruled that Malaysian police acted unlawfully in arresting six human rights lawyers and activists, including Amer Hamzah Arshad, who took part in the Human Rights Day Walk in 2007. Counsel Edmund Bon and Chan Yen Hui represented the six. Edmund said the decision was “a great victory for social activists for the right to freedom of assembly.”

LoyarBurokking it up in Esquire Magazine!

LoyarBurok | The May 2013 edition of Esquire Malaysia featured LoyarBurok’s Edmund Bon, Fahri Azzat, New Sin Yew, and Marcus van Geyzel, as they spoke about human rights, legal practice, and LoyarBurok/MCCHR as a communal platform for any Malaysian to speak up.

Win or lose, Malaysia is changing

ABC News | Whoever wins watershed national elections on Sunday, human rights lawyer and commentator Edmund Bon said, “the political landscape of Malaysia will never be the same again.” People are more aware and different acts of dissent have ignited the imagination of the youth for a new Malaysia.

Integrity fears as watershed elections approach

ABC News | Edmund Bon, Malaysian human rights lawyer and LoyarBurok blog contributor, told Radio Australia’s Asia Pacific that fears about the integrity of the polling process persist. Malaysia’s election commission is under fire for not acting more decisively about the reported failure of indelible ink to be used on voters’ fingers.

Siasatan SUARAM: Berambus-la ROS!

LoyarBurok | Jabatan Pendaftaran Pertubuhan Malaysia telah mengeluarkan arahan untuk peguam SUARAM, Amer Hamzah Arshad, menghadiri diri untuk sesi soal siasat. Saman di bawah seksyen 66 Akta Pertubuhan 1966 serta jawapan peguamcara Amer yang menjelaskan interpretasi seksyen 66 dilampirkan.

Suaram lawyer: MP’s allegations false, baseless

Malaysiakini | Suaram’s lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad called Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong’s allegation, that he had furnished false information on the human rights NGO, “false and baseless”. Amer said he viewed Wee’s allegation as defamatory and tantamount to assassination of his personal character and reputation.

Social media connects, doesn’t pose security threat, forum told

The Edge Markets | Edmund Bon spoke at a forum on social media at the National Young Lawyers Forum. He hoped for social media to become a threat to dictators or corrupt regimes that abuse human rights, and urged lawyers to be involved in activism and to uphold justice.

Explaining the science of activism

The Edge Markets | Edmund Bon has infused the citizens movement UndiMsia! with activism models developed by Gene Sharp and Bill Moyer. Sharp drew up a list of 198 methods of activism that have become a guide to successfully pressuring governments to change, while Moyer slotted the different types of activists into four categories — the reformer, rebel, social change agent, and citizen.

Edmund Bon: Bersih 2 is no Arab spring, but we do want clean and fair elections

AsiaNews | Edmund Bon, a lawyer of Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights and supporter of the Bersih 2.0, explained the significance of the demonstrations by more than 70 thousand people in KL on 9 July — “cleaning” of the electoral register and a longer campaign period. But these small corrections seem to undermine the UMNO party, in power for 56 years. In 30 cities worldwide, demonstrations supported Bersih 2.0.

Berjalan Untuk Kebebasan

Pusat KOMAS | Lebih daripada 1,000 rakyat telah menyertai Berjalan untuk Kebebasan (Walk For Freedom) yang dianjurkan oleh Majlis Peguam Negara untuk membantah Rang Undang-Undang Perhimpunan Aman 2011. Edmund Bon adalah salah seorang penganjur demonstrasi ini.

Shaking up the legal profession

The Heat | The legal profession has always been seen as conservative and rigid. But one man is trying to change the public perception of lawyers by introducing progressive ideas to the decades-old line of work. Will it work in favour of clients? “We should be ready and embrace it rather than realise that by 2020, we are left behind,” Edmund Bon said.

Government’s appeal over Rights Day 2007 arrests thrown out

Malay Mail | The Court of Appeal upheld an earlier decision that the arrests of five lawyers, including Amer Hamzah Arshad, and an activist during a 2007 demonstration for human rights to be unlawful. The six were represented by lawyers Edmund Bon and Chan Yen Hui.

Bukan Islam tidak perlu patuh kepada titah Diraja atau fatwa, kata peguam

The Malaysian Insider | Bukan Islam tidak boleh didakwa di Mahkamah Syariah. Jadi mana-mana fatwa daripada Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan tidak terpakai kepada bukan Islam, kata peguam Edmund Bon, seperti diputuskan oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan pada 2009 dalam kes Sulaiman Takrib lawan Kerajaan Negeri Terengganu; Kerajaan Malaysia (pencelah) & Kes Lain.

Non-Muslims not bound by royal decrees or fatwa on Islam, say lawyers

The Malaysian Insider | Constitutional experts say royal decrees and fatwa are not binding on non–Muslims whose religious rights are guaranteed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963. Edmund Bon pointed out that fatwa rulings or edicts were only applicable to Muslims as decided by a three-man Federal Court bench in 2009 in the case of Sulaiman Takrib.

Five lawyers, activist win suit against government over arrest

Astro Awani | The court awarded Five human rights lawyers and an activist, including Amer Hamzah Arshad, each with RM10,000 in damages, and ordered the defendants to pay a total of RM60,000 in costs to all the plaintiffs. Counsel Edmund Bon, representing the six, told reporters that the ruling was a great victory for democracy and human rights.

Human Rights Walk arrests unlawful, court rules

The Edge | KL High Court judge Datuk John Louis O’Hara found the police giving confusing, conflicting, and contradictory instructions, and awarded a total of RM120,000 in damages to each of the six plaintiffs — lawyers R. Sivarasa, N. Surendran, Latheefa Koya, Eric Paulsen, and Amer Hamzah Arshad as well as human rights activist Johny Andu @ Abu Bakar Adnan. Lawyer Edmund Bon noted this is probably the last case under section 27 of the Police Act as it has been abolished substituted with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

Six win suit against police and govt over illegal arrest and detention

The Star | The KL High Court judge held that the arrests and detention of five lawyers, including Amer Hamzah Arshad, and an activist by the police were unlawful, but dismissed the claim on malicious prosecution as it was the prerogative of the AG to initiate proceedings. Lead counsel Edmund Bon said the ruling was a great victory for democracy and human rights.

Six human rights defenders win case against gov’t

Malaysiakini | Edmund Bon represented six plaintiffs who filed a suit against the acting Dang Wangi OCPD, the IGP, the Home Ministry, and the government for unlawful detention and arrest. KL High Court judge John Louis O’Hara agreed that the arresting officer gave conflicting, contradictory, and confusing instructions, and the detainees were not allowed to consult a legal representative.

Police acted unlawfully in arresting lawyers, activists, court rules

The Malaysian Insider | The KL High Court ruled that Malaysian police acted unlawfully in arresting six human rights lawyers and activists, including Amer Hamzah Arshad, who took part in the Human Rights Day Walk in 2007. Counsel Edmund Bon and Chan Yen Hui represented the six. Edmund said the decision was “a great victory for social activists for the right to freedom of assembly.”

LoyarBurokking it up in Esquire Magazine!

LoyarBurok | The May 2013 edition of Esquire Malaysia featured LoyarBurok’s Edmund Bon, Fahri Azzat, New Sin Yew, and Marcus van Geyzel, as they spoke about human rights, legal practice, and LoyarBurok/MCCHR as a communal platform for any Malaysian to speak up.

Win or lose, Malaysia is changing

ABC News | Whoever wins watershed national elections on Sunday, human rights lawyer and commentator Edmund Bon said, “the political landscape of Malaysia will never be the same again.” People are more aware and different acts of dissent have ignited the imagination of the youth for a new Malaysia.

Integrity fears as watershed elections approach

ABC News | Edmund Bon, Malaysian human rights lawyer and LoyarBurok blog contributor, told Radio Australia’s Asia Pacific that fears about the integrity of the polling process persist. Malaysia’s election commission is under fire for not acting more decisively about the reported failure of indelible ink to be used on voters’ fingers.

Siasatan SUARAM: Berambus-la ROS!

LoyarBurok | Jabatan Pendaftaran Pertubuhan Malaysia telah mengeluarkan arahan untuk peguam SUARAM, Amer Hamzah Arshad, menghadiri diri untuk sesi soal siasat. Saman di bawah seksyen 66 Akta Pertubuhan 1966 serta jawapan peguamcara Amer yang menjelaskan interpretasi seksyen 66 dilampirkan.

Suaram lawyer: MP’s allegations false, baseless

Malaysiakini | Suaram’s lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad called Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong’s allegation, that he had furnished false information on the human rights NGO, “false and baseless”. Amer said he viewed Wee’s allegation as defamatory and tantamount to assassination of his personal character and reputation.

Social media connects, doesn’t pose security threat, forum told

The Edge Markets | Edmund Bon spoke at a forum on social media at the National Young Lawyers Forum. He hoped for social media to become a threat to dictators or corrupt regimes that abuse human rights, and urged lawyers to be involved in activism and to uphold justice.

Explaining the science of activism

The Edge Markets | Edmund Bon has infused the citizens movement UndiMsia! with activism models developed by Gene Sharp and Bill Moyer. Sharp drew up a list of 198 methods of activism that have become a guide to successfully pressuring governments to change, while Moyer slotted the different types of activists into four categories — the reformer, rebel, social change agent, and citizen.

Edmund Bon: Bersih 2 is no Arab spring, but we do want clean and fair elections

AsiaNews | Edmund Bon, a lawyer of Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights and supporter of the Bersih 2.0, explained the significance of the demonstrations by more than 70 thousand people in KL on 9 July — “cleaning” of the electoral register and a longer campaign period. But these small corrections seem to undermine the UMNO party, in power for 56 years. In 30 cities worldwide, demonstrations supported Bersih 2.0.

Berjalan Untuk Kebebasan

Pusat KOMAS | Lebih daripada 1,000 rakyat telah menyertai Berjalan untuk Kebebasan (Walk For Freedom) yang dianjurkan oleh Majlis Peguam Negara untuk membantah Rang Undang-Undang Perhimpunan Aman 2011. Edmund Bon adalah salah seorang penganjur demonstrasi ini.