I wish all of the participants who attend the International Anti-Corruption Day ceremony today, including the President, the Speaker of the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, Union Ministers, Attorney-General of the Union, Auditor-General of the Union, Region/State Chief Ministers, Anti-Corruption Commission acting Chairperson and members, government officials, UN Resident Coordinator for Myanmar, UNDP and UNODC officials, NGOs working for anti-corruption, representatives from the private sector and civil society, happy and wealthy.

The three integral parts of the sovereignty of the country are Legislative power, Executive power, and Judicial power, and courts and judges have the judicial authority. Only if courts and judges are able to resolve the cases of the citizens in a fair manner in accordance with the laws without being involved in corruption, they will earn the trust of the citizens.

Only if the judiciary is fair, impartial and independent, the principles of the judiciary will be upheld, and the rule of law will be achieved in the society. Only if the judiciary in the country is strong and proper, the citizens will be able to enjoy the fundamental rights such as justice, freedom and equality.

In accordance with the Supreme Court of the Union’s theme “Towards Progressive Justice for All”, we aim to provide high-quality justice to all and promote public trust and the rule of law. We are carrying out our judicial duties with the aim of securing the rule of law, achieving community peace, making the judiciary more trustable, handling cases promptly in accordance with the laws, and enhancing the dignity of the courts.

To increase public trust in the judiciary and to maintain the dignity of the judiciary, the judges, both individually and collectively, must adhere to judicial ethics such as equality, diligence, impartiality, honesty, and integrity. All judicial bodies, law officers and lawyers also need to respect the code of ethics. Then, with the support of all stakeholders in the judiciary, public trust, the rule of law and development will be achieved.

Only if the rule of law prevails in the country in full swing, the values such as justice, freedom and equality will be maintained. In a democratic society, the judiciary has important duties for the prevalence of the rule of law, and effectively protect fundamental rights and human rights of the citizens. So, the judiciary must be independent, fair and accountable, and we need to make it clear that we are doing so.

We issued annual judicial reports with the aim of making the judicial process more transparent and accountable, increasing the capacity of the courts, and informing the public about the reform of the judiciary. So, not only those involved in the judiciary but also the general public can understand the judicial processes. That shows the judicial sector is accountable.

In performing judicial duties, judicial officials need to be independent, fair, honest and diligent. They need to ensure quality and maintain dignity. Things that will sustain a country’s judiciary are independence of the court, judges’ integrity, and impartiality and effectiveness of court processes that the general public can trust. Corruption undermines the freedom of the judiciary, impartiality and integrity. Corruption also undermines public trust in the judiciary as a whole.

Timely implementation of court proceedings, accuracy, fairness, impartiality, and being free from corruption are essential in order to improve the judiciary. So, in conclusion, I would like to urge the judges, courts, judicial bodies, law officers, lawyers, the general public and media to collaboratively work in a balanced manner in order to maintain the integrity of the judiciary, establish an impartial, corruption-free and trustable judicial system.

Translated by Maung Maung Swe

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