The 14th General Assembly of the ASEAN Law Association (ALA) commenced on 19th October 2023, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It began with the opening ceremony of the General Assembly which was graced by the presence of The Honourable Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia who delivered a keynote address. The ceremony was also attended by The Honourable Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office (Law and Institutional Reform), ALA President, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Chairs of ALA National Committees of ASEAN Member States comprising Chief Justices, Supreme Court Justices and Attorneys General, ALA Secretary General as well as legal practitioners, government legal officers and legal academics from ASEAN member states. The General Assembly convenes every three years to highlight and discuss key legal issues within the region.
Brunei Darussalam’s delegation was headed by the Attorney General, the Honourable Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Ahmad bin Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Setia Bakti Di-Raja Dato Laila Utama Haji Awang Isa, as Chair of Brunei Darussalam’s ALA National Committee. Brunei Darussalam’s delegation comprised senior officers from the Attorney General’s Chambers, members of the Judiciary and private practitioners from the Law Society.
The First Session of General Assembly was chaired by the President of ALA, the Honourable Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, proceeded with the certification of quorum and then heard addresses from the respective ALA Heads of Delegations. Consistent with the recent format of the convening of the General Assembly, the plenary meeting is divided into two sessions giving way to the two-day ASEAN Law Conference held on 19 – 20 October 2023.
