Curtin Malaysia journalism students visit Miri High Court

Miri – 10 October 2019 – It was an unforgettable experience for 30 journalism students of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) to observe a real-life court hearing during their visit to the Miri High Court recently.

The students, led by mass communication lecturer Ngu Ik Ying, visited the court complex to learn about the Malaysian legal system and legal practices.

Ngu said the experience was crucial to the students’ learning as it allowed them to see how court hearings are conducted and get insights into civil and criminal cases heard in Miri.

“Observing a real case being heard in court helps students to develop their news reporting skills as they learn more about the court procedures and etiquette,” she said.

The group was received on arrival at the court complex by Senior Assistant Registrar Eleanor Mako Timothy and her staff. They were then taken on a tour of the three-storey complex which houses the high court, session court and magistrate court.

They also viewed the complex’s video-conferencing facilities where online court proceedings are conducted with lawyers in other locations, the court auction room where public tender for properties are conducted, and the legal library.

Following the tour, Eleanor gave the students an overview of the Malaysian judiciary and the hierarchy of courts, the roles and responsibilities of the judicial commissioners, as well as the court recording and transcription system.

Curtin Malaysia offers the three-year Curtin Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, which is a highly practical and technology-centred course that gives students extensive exposure to industry practices and opportunities to work with industry-standard equipment, and produce real work for print, film and television.

As of this year, the course has been enhanced with the addition of a journalism stream ideal for students keen to pursue careers in the print, broadcast and online media. The stream covers journalism theory and practice through the three media, including the legal and ethical conditions under which journalism is practiced.

When taken in combination with the other elements of the Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, the journalism stream provides students with the ability to communicate effectively, the opportunity to publish on a variety of media platforms including online, radio and television, and an understanding of how contemporary news media operate.

Eleanor (4th left, front row) with the students and lecturer at Miri High Court Complex.