The Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) was established in 2009 to safeguard judicial independence, yet the very body meant to depoliticise the bench is facing criticism over its legitimacy.

At a Malaysian Bar forum yesterday on strengthening judicial independence and the process of appointing judges, experts argued the JAC has overstepped its bounds, and that the executive’s grip on the judiciary remains intact.

According to constitutional law expert Shad Saleem Faruqi, the problem is...