The jailed opposition leader’s lawyer, Zaid Abdul Malek, said Federal Court deputy registrar Khainur Aleeza Ismail has, meanwhile, fixed case management for June 25.
“The case will be called again three months later and, hopefully, the Federal Court would have delivered its verdict,” Zaid told FMT after a case management today.
Federal counsel Muzila Mohamed Arshad represented the government and Zulkefli.
Zaid was referring to the seven-member bench which last week heard the challenge brought by the Malaysian Bar and the Advocates Association of Sarawak (AAS) that the appointments of Zulkefli and Chief Justice Raus Sharif as additional judges to hold their administrative posts were unconstitutional.
The bench, chaired by Hasan Lah, has reserved judgment.
Zaid said Anwar could still ask for a revisit of his review application to disqualify Zulkefli should the seven-man bench dismiss the challenge by the Bar and AAS.
At the last case management on Feb 26, Anwar also objected to Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) members sitting as judges on the application as they could have recommended to the prime minister to appoint Zulkefli to his current position.
Chief Justice Raus Sharif is the JAC chairman.
Zulkefli is the deputy chairman. Others are Chief Judge of Malaya Ahmad Maarop, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judge Azahar Mohamed.
On Nov 10, Anwar filed the application following a Federal Court decision by a three-man bench, chaired by Zulkefli on Oct 27, which refused him permission to be present in court to follow his civil case against the Election Commission.
Anwar said the sitting was bad for want of a coram as a minimum of three judges was necessary to make a decision under Section 74 of the Courts of Judicature Act.
He said since the chairman was disqualified from sitting, that provision had not been complied with.
Anwar wants the decision to stop him from attending his case to be set aside and a fresh bench be formed to rehear his application to be present in court.
The government announced last July 7 that Raus would remain in office for another three years from Aug 4, while Zulkefli would remain in his post for another two years from Sept 28 last year.
Both were appointed as chief justice and Court of Appeal president on April 1 and were scheduled to retire on Aug 3 and Sept 27 respectively, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 66 years and six months.
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