Gani was admitted to the Bar, together with four others, in a ceremony steeped in tradition before High Court judge John Louis O’ Hara.
Former Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong, who moved Gani’s petition, said the former AG was seeking to remain a member of the legal fraternity.
Gani, who was AG for 13 years, was removed abruptly from office on July 27, last year, when he was part of a multi-agency special task force investigating 1Malaysia Development Berhad and the RM2.6 billion channelled into the private accounts of Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Najib was later cleared of any wrongdoing by Gani’s successor, Apandi Ali.
The government said Gani was replaced on medical grounds, but he remained in service until 60, the mandatory retirement age.
Leong said although the July 27 event was news to some and a surprise to others, it did not deter or slow down Gani.
He said the event was a blow for the country, the principles of good governance and accountability and for the pursuit of truth and justice, but that there was a silver lining to that cloud.
“He shortly turned a page and started a new phase. He filed his petition and commenced his pupilage under Ragunath Kesavan, the 28th president of the Malaysian Bar,” Leong said.
O’ Hara, in allowing the petitions of the five, said Gani was bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience.
“He has also appeared on numerous occasions in the Malaysian apex court and other international tribunals,” said the judge, who was once Gani’s colleague in the AG’s Chambers.
To the rest, the judge said they should work harder and smarter, and use information technology to their advantage.
He said there should be no margin for error as big cases were won or lost because of mistakes.
“Learn from your mistakes, but, better still, learn from the mistakes of others,” he added.
Others called to the Bar were Wan Nurul Nabilah Wan Mansor, Chee Weng Kian, Siti Aminah Abdullah and Yeoh Jie Yin.
Senior Federal Counsel Rozielawathy Abdul Gani, who represented the AG’s Chambers, had no objection to the petitioners being admitted to the Bar.
Lawyer Hendon Mohamed represented the Bar Council while lawyer Lim Chee Wee appeared for the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee.
Ragunath, who robed Gani as a symbolic gesture that he was a fit and proper person to practice law, said his ex-student would be joining his (Gani’s) son’s legal firm, known as Gani Patail Chambers.
This firm was set up in Kuala Lumpur last August and a check by FMT on the Malaysian Bar website revealed that the lawyers listed as being attached to the firm are his son Faezul Adzra Patail Abdul Gani Patail, former solicitor-general Azailiza Mohd Ahad, who left the government service after optional retirement in April, and Anati Kasahi.