KOTA KINABALU, July 8 — Online hearing of court cases in Sabah and Sarawak will continue as long as the recovery movement control order (RMCO) is in force, said Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim.

"It has become the new normal and lawyers are prepared to accept the fact that cases have to be conducted online,” he told reporters after making a courtesy call on Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin at Istana Negeri here today.

Abang Iskandar said the online hearing of cases in both states had been proceeding smoothly.

"Most of the cases are civil. It (online hearing) could not be conducted for criminal cases because of the tight legal provisions,” he added.

On the courtesy call, Abang Iskandar said it was his first since taking over as Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak from Tan Sri David Wong Dak Wah in February this year.

Abang Iskandar said among the matters discussed at the meeting was the Sabah and Sarawak High Court Registry, which was relocated from Kuching, Sarawak to here in November last year.

The two state governments agreed that the location of the Sabah and Sarawak High Court Registry be rotated on a 10-year basis between the two states, he added. — Bernama