KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court set Jan 5 to hear Universiti Malaya law associate professor Dr Azmi Sharom’s bid to have it hear his sedition case linked to the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis.

Azmi’s counsel Gobind Singh Deo confirmed the date set by High Court senior assistant registrar Asfahani Hamzah during case management in chambers this morning.

“The High Court would be better suited to hear and determine questions of law,” said Gobind on his client’s intent to raise several complex legal issues linked to the Sedition Act 1948.

Gobind added that Azmi sought for the trial to be heard at the High Court because in the event he is convicted there, his final avenue of appeal would be at the Federal Court.

Under the law, any appeal against a Sessions Court verdict stops at the Court of Appeal while appeal against a High Court decision can go all the way to the apex court.

Gobind added that the Sessions Court has fixed Jan 8 for his client’s sedition trial.

Deputy public prosecutor Nadiah Malek Fauzie appeared for the Public Prosecutor in today’s case management.

On Sept 2 last year, 46-year-old Azmi pleaded not guilty to committing sedition over his comments in an article titled “Take Perak crisis route for speedy end to Selangor impasse, Pakatan told”, published by an online news portal on Aug 15 the same year.

Following his charging, Azmi had then filed a constitutional challenge against the Sedition Act.

However, the Federal Court affirmed the validity of the Act on Oct 6 this year, and ordered the sedition trial to proceed.-nst