Legal Response, Rule of Law and Judicial Developments in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic: Malaysian Experience

Abstract

The unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic continues to take a severe economic toll and inflict considerable human suffering. Despite significant efforts coordinated at the international level by various organisations, the swift impact of the crisis has asymmetrically affected the global and local populations through continuous disruptions to daily life. Consequently, a number of Covid-19 related restrictions and security measures are introduced by governmental bodies to mitigate the short and long-term fallout of the pandemic. Accompanied by legal developments to enable and implement them, these authorities play an essential role in maintaining order and control to limit the impact of the outbreak. However, where governments respond with an expanded role and the compelling presence of law enforcement, the struggle to uphold the rule of law will be more apparent than ever. This speech explains whether these measures can be materialised without infringing our existing rights and rule of law within the global and the Malaysian context and canvasses the developments on the front of the judiciary to cater to the ‘new norms’ and order.