KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to announce several measures to reform the judiciary at a dinner organised by the Malaysian Bar at a hotel here tonight.

Some 500 guests, including Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, retired judges, representatives of non-governmental organisations, diplomats and senior government officials are expected to attend.

Former lord president Tun Salleh Abas and family members of the Supreme Court judges who were sacked in the 1988 judicial crisis, have also confirmed attendance.

It is learnt that at the function, Abdullah will announce measures for judicial reforms and would bring closure to the issue of the sacked judges which had plagued the nation for two decades.

In the judicial crisis, Salleh, Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin, Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdoolcader, Tan Sri Wan Hamzah Mohamed Salleh, Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawanteh and Datuk George Seah were suspended. They faced a tribunal on the grounds of judicial misconduct. Eusoffe and Wan Suleiman have since died.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim had recently said that the government should apologise to all five judges for the serious trangressions committed by the previous administration.

In reply, Abdullah had said his government would not apologise to the judges for the 1988 incident but would "compensate" them.

Bar Council secretary Lim Chee Wee said they were anticipating some good news from Abdullah in tonight's function themed, "Delivering Justice, Renewing Trust".