AMIR HARIRI BIN ABD HADI v Pendakwa Raya [Jabatan Peguam Negara]

06rj-1-08-2024w Federal Court (Mahkamah Persekutuan) 30 June 2025 • 06(RJ)-1-08/2024(W) • 37 min read
11 cases cited (0 SG, 11 foreign)

Catchwords

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW - Article 10(1)(b) Federal Constitution – Right to peaceful assembly - Article 10(2)(b) FC – Parliamentary restrictions on assembly rights - Article 8(1) FC – Equality before the law & proportionality - Article 4(1) FC – Void laws inconsistent with the Constitution - Peaceful assembly — Notification of assembly — Requirement of giving ten days’ notice to police — Organiser failed to give police ten days’ notice — Whether requirement to give notice reasonable — Whether non-compliance to give required notice detrimental to organiser — Whether in breach of safeguarding provisions — Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 s 9(1) & (5) ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Doctrine of proportionality - Whether s 9(5) PAA 2012 is a justified and balanced restriction - Criminalising failure to notify police (s 9(5)) disproportionately restricts the right to peaceful assembly - Violates Article 10(1)(b) FC - Legitimate Aim - Chilling Effect - Organisers face prosecution even for peaceful gatherings, discouraging exercise of constitutional rights

Practice Areas

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW ADMINISTRATIVE LAW

Judges (5)

Amar Abang Iskandar bin Abang Hashim Coram Mohd Nazlan bin Mohd Ghazali Coram Nallini Pathmanathan Coram Rhodzariah binti Bujang Coram Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat Delivered

Counsel (23)

Abhilaash Subramaniam & Co Firm Attorney General's Chambers Firm Jeffrey Tan & Chng Firm Lee & Poh Partnership Firm Lim Wei Jiet Firm Shearn Delamore Firm Yeoh Mazlina & Partners Firm Abhilaash Subramaniam Counsel Intervener Abraham Au Tian Hui Counsel Applicant Anand Raj Counsel Intervener Beatrice Chin Yuen Xin Counsel Applicant Cheong Wen Yie Counsel Intervener Dato' Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar Counsel Applicant Gan Pei Fern Counsel Third Party Joshua Tay H'ng Foong Counsel Applicant Lim Wei Jiet Counsel Intervener Mohamad Iskandar Ahmad Counsel Respondent Nevyn Vinosh Venudran Counsel Intervener New Sin Yew Counsel Applicant O Ying Xin Counsel Third Party Tetralina Ahmed Fauzi Counsel Respondent Vam Shir Mooi Counsel Applicant Yap Pui Yi Counsel Applicant

Parties (2)

Pendakwa Raya Respondent Amir Hariri bin Abd Hadi Appellant

Case Significance

AMIR HARIRI BIN ABD HADI v Pendakwa Raya [Jabatan Peguam Negara] is a Federal Court (Mahkamah Persekutuan) decision dated June 30, 2025 (citation: 06rj-1-08-2024w). <p>The Federal Court considered the constitutional validity of section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which criminalises failure to give ten days' notice to police before organising an assembly. The Court unanimously held that section 9(5) is unconstitutional as it disproportionately restricts the right to peaceful assembly guaranteed under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution, applying a proportionality analysis. The provision was declared void under Article 4(1), resolving the The panel comprised Amar Abang Iskandar bin Abang Hashim, Mohd Nazlan bin Mohd Ghazali, Nallini Pathmanathan, Rhodzariah binti Bujang and Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat, with Tengku Maimun binti Tuan Mat delivering the judgment.

Summary

The Federal Court considered the constitutional validity of section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which criminalises failure to give ten days' notice to police before organising an assembly. The Court unanimously held that section 9(5) is unconstitutional as it disproportionately restricts the right to peaceful assembly guaranteed under Article 10(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution, applying a proportionality analysis. The provision was declared void under Article 4(1), resolving the conflict between the earlier Nik Nazmi decision (which struck down the provision) and the later Yuneswaran decision (which upheld it).

What was the outcome of AMIR HARIRI BIN ABD HADI v Pendakwa Raya [Jabatan Peguam Negara]?

<p>The Federal Court considered the constitutional validity of section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which criminalises failure to give ten ...

Statutes Cited

Courts of Judicature Act 1964 (Cap 91)
Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Cap 234)
s 37A
Federal Constitution
Art 10
Peaceful Assembly Act 2012
s 9(5)
Penal Code (Cap 574)

Cases Cited (11)

UK (1)
[1944] KB 718
MY (10)
[1994] 1 MLJ 566 [1998] 1 MLJ 1 [2006] 6 MLJ 213 [2010] 2 MLJ 333 [2014] 4 MLJ 157 [2015] 6 MLJ 47 [2015] 6 MLJ 751 [2019] 4 MLJ 1 [2020] 5 MLJ 277 [2024] 1 MLJ 225