DSpace Community: Faculty of Law

A philosophical approach to decision-making for sterilising mentally disordered adults

Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Title: A philosophical approach to decision-making for sterilising mentally disordered adults

Authors: Wang, Min Yen

Abstract: Abstract The issue of sterilisation of mentally disordered persons has never been considered by the courts or the legislature of Malaysia. This thesis examines how the law of tort of Malaysia should look at sterilisation of mentally disordered adults. In this connection, the history of compulsory sterilisation in other jurisdictions, the way the existing legislative framework of Malaysia views the question of consent and medical treatment, as well as how the sterilisation cases in England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US have developed are all looked into with a view of forming a legal proposition using a philosophical approach. It is proposed that the best interests test is not necessarily the best test and that it could be overly dependent on the value system of the decision-maker. Many of the factors that are considered important to the best interests test may not have good basis for comparison and they have contributed to the medicalisation of many legal and ethical issues. The principle of autonomy and the principle that non-therapeutic sterilisation can never be performed without the consent of the patient are the two principles that should be used to safeguard the interests of the mentally disordered adults. These two principles are used to propose a set of guiding principles for decision-makers in Malaysia after taking into consideration the existing regulatory conditions in Malaysia. ABSTRAK Isu sterilisasi orang sakit mental tidak pernah dipertimbangkan oleh mahkamah ataupun perundangan Malaysia. Tesis ini mempertimbangkan bagaimana undang-undang tort di Malaysia wajar menangani isu sterilisasi orang dewasa yang sakit mental. Sehubungan dengan ini, sumber-sumber berikut ditelitikan untuk membentukkan suatu usul perundangan dengan menggunakan pendekatan falsafah: (a) sejarah di lain-lain negara yang melakukan sterilisasi wajib; (b) struktur perundangan Malaysia tentang izin dan rawatan perubatan dan (c) pendekatan undang-undang yang digunakan dalam kes-kes sterilisasi di England, Kanada, Australia, New Zealand dan Amerika Syarikat. Tesis ini mencadangkan bahawa ujian kepentingan terbaik bukan semestinya ujian yang paling baik dan ia terlalu tergantung kepada sistem nilai pembuat keputusan. Banyak faktor yang dianggap penting dalam ujian kepentingan terbaik sebenarnya tidak menpunyai asas pembandingan yang berpatututan dan ini telah menyumbang kepada penukaran banyak isu etika dan perundangan kepada isu perubatan. Dua prinsip berikut wajar digunakan untuk melindungi kepentingan orang dewasa yang sakit mental: (a) prinsip autonomi; dan (b) prinsip bahawa sterilisasi yang tidak berdasarkan faktor terapeutik tidak harus dilakukan,. Setelah mangambilkira keadaan perundangan di Malaysia, dua prinsip ini digunakan untuk mencadangkan suatu set prinsip-prinsip panduan untuk pembuat keputusan di Malaysia.

Description: Dissertation -- Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, 2009.

The doctrine of privity in Malaysia: the need for reform and the way forward

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Title: The doctrine of privity in Malaysia: the need for reform and the way forward

Authors: Tan, Pei Meng

Abstract: ABSTRACT This thesis examines the doctrine of privity in Malaysia and argues that its application to contracts made for the benefit of third parties is inadequate and requires statutory reform. The main obstacle of this doctrine is that it frustrates the contracting parties’ intention to benefit third parties. The difficulty is exacerbated by the growth of contracts made for the benefit of third parties in recent years. It is submitted that contract theory can accommodate third party rights. The development of common law mechanisms to overcome the doctrine of privity in England, Australia and Canada are analysed to consider their application to the position in Malaysia. The common law mechanisms discussed include promisee’s remedies for breach of contract and mechanisms which grant direct rights to the third party to enforce a contract such as trust, agency, tort, Himalaya clauses and others. A comparative study of the use of these mechanisms in the jurisdictions analysed shows that a number of important judicial developments can be undertaken by the Malaysian courts. However, this study also shows that there are limitations with judicial reform of the doctrine of privity and that the more effective solution is through statutory reform. For this purpose, a study on the statutory development of third party rights in England, New Zealand, Australia, together with the position in the United States and the Principles of European Contract Law which are applicable to members of the European Union is also included in this discussion. This comparative study shows that the framework adopted in England now found in Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 is the preferred model for reform subject to a few changes to suit local conditions and circumstances. ABSTRAK Tesis ini mengkaji aplikasi doktrin priviti di Malaysia and menghujahkan bahawa aplikasi doktrin ini kepada kontrak untuk faedah parti ketiga adalah bermasalah and memerlukan ‘statutory reform’. Masalah utama doktrin ini adalah ia tidak dapat memenuhi hasrat parti-parti berkontrak untuk memberi faedah kepada parti ketiga. Masalah ini menjadi lebih rumit disebabkan oleh perkembangan kontrak untuk faedah parti ketiga sejak tahun-tahun kebelakangan ini. Tesis ini mempertikaikan bahawa hak parti ketiga dalam kontrak boleh wujud di dalam teori kontrak. Perkembangan mekanisme dalam ‘common law’ untuk mengelakkan doktrin priviti di England, Australia dan Kanada juga dikaji untuk mempertimbangkan kemungkinan aplikasi mekanisme ini di Malaysia. Mekanisme yang dibincangkan termasuk agensi, amanah, tort, remedi-remedi kemungkiran kontrak dan lain-lain lagi. Kajian mekanisme ini menunjukkan bahawa terdapat banyak perkembangan yang boleh dipertimbangkan untuk diaplikasikan di Malaysia. Akan tetapi, kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa terdapat kelemahan dalam mekanisme ‘common law’ untuk memyelesaikan masalah doktrin priviti. Jalan penyelesaian yang lebih berkesan adalah melalui ‘statutory reform’. Oleh itu, kajian ini juga meliputi perbandingan ‘statutory reform’ untuk doktrin priviti di England, New Zealand dan Australia serta dengan perkembangan di Amerika Syarikat dan ‘Principles of European Contract Law’ yang digunakan oleh ahli-ahli ‘European Union’. Kajian perbandingan ini menunjukkan bahawa ‘statutory reform’ di England melalui ‘Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999’ yang terpilih untuk Malaysia tertakluk kepada beberapa perubahan supaya pembaruan undang-undang mengenai doktrin priviti di Malaysia adalah bersesuian dengan keadaan di Malaysia.

Description: Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Law, University of Malaya, 2009.

Settlement of Election Offences in Four Southeast Asian Countries (with Special Reference to the Indonesian General Elections)

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Settlement of Election Offences in Four Southeast Asian Countries (with Special Reference to the Indonesian General Elections)

Authors: Topo Santoso

Abstract: The aim of this research is to analyse the legal framework in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, and its conformity to international instruments regarding general elections, particularly on settlement of election offences for the conduct of democratic general elections. To achieve the purpose of this study, there will be a need to examine (i) The extent the legal framework in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines incorporated international standards on election to protect election process from election offences; (ii) The extent the election offences are settled through the criminal process and through the process of election petition. It is highly important to conduct a more comprehensive research, either globally or regionally, to identify some problems related to settlement of election offences, either through the criminal process or through the election petition process. By means of this research, the differences and similarities of the legal framework as well as their strengths and weaknesses can be found and some recommendations could be proposed to strengthen the system of election offence settlement. This study is a comparative study. The methodology applied in this thesis is related to the objective, namely, to analyse the legal framework of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines in solving election offences problems. This thesis analyses the extent to which the legal framework incorporates several international standards concerning elections. The primary data of this thesis are documents in the form of laws, legislation and court decisions. It is supported by other literature, such as reports, academic journals, magazines, ii newspapers, and books. Additionally, interviews were also conducted with several resource persons having expertise in this field. The data are analysed using a qualitative approach. The study results demonstrate that in order to prevent unwanted political influence on the election process , every country needs a legal framework that protect general elections from all kinds of election offences, provide the right of all aggrieved parties to challenge the elections result before an independent and competent judicial body and set out the scope of available review, establish provisions concerning the effect of irregularities on the outcome of elections, and provide effective and fair redress mechanism. The existing legal framework of the respective countries generally cover elements of international human right standards on election, however different on some issues, especially the coverage of election offences, the model of regulation, the effect of election offences on the election result, the ground of election petitions and the settlement procedure (in criminal process and in election petition). Some aspects of the legal framework of settlement of election offences, particularly in Indonesia, need to be improved to ensure more democratic general elections. It is extremely important for a democratic country to protect its political process and protect political rights of every citizen and parties from election offences. Without an effective and fair system, it will be very difficult to achieve the protection as provided in international standards. The international standards provide a minimum benchmark to which all countries should aspire

Description: A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in the University of Malaya