KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 24): A total of 18 cases involving high-profile individuals (VIPs/VVIPs) have been granted a discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) over the past eight years, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

According to the 2012 Chief Registrar’s circular on high-profile cases, VIPs/VVIPs are defined as royalty, politicians, judges, and senior government officials, Azalina noted.

"The decision to grant a DNAA aligns with Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution, which grants the Attorney General the discretion to initiate, conduct, or halt proceedings based on available and new evidence, except in syariah, native, or military courts," Azalina said in a written parliamentary reply on Monday.

She was responding to Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi (Perikatan Nasional-Tumpat), who inquired about the number of VIP/VVIP cases granted DNAA in the past few years and measures to enhance legal transparency.

Giving a breakdown of the 18 cases by year, Azalina said there were no cases in 2017, two cases in 2018, three cases in 2019, five cases in 2020, one case in 2021, no cases in 2022, five cases in 2023, two cases in 2024.

To ensure transparency in DNAA cases, Azalina said various judicial reforms have been implemented, covering legislation, communication, and procedural improvements.

These include collaborations with local universities for legal research and the introduction of the AI Legal Justice 2025 roadmap to integrate AI into the legal system.

Additionally, a judicial academy under the Judicial Appointments Commission is being established to enhance the skills and efficiency of senior judges through training and comparative studies.

"The judicial academy will also conduct comparative studies based on best practices from other countries, particularly in terms of structure, oversight, and operations," the minister added.

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