Lawyer Anne Vendargon informed Federal Court deputy registrar Suhaila Haron at case management today of instructions received from the Bar Council to that effect. The Bar has been named a respondent in the appeal.

The Bar views Laidlaw’s appeal as academic following the Federal Court’s disposal on Aug 23 of the jailed former prime minister’s final appeal in his SRC International corruption case.

The court upheld Najib’s conviction and his sentence of 12 years’ jail and fine of RM210 million on various corruption charges relating to funds belonging to SRC International, a government-owned company.

Laidlaw, who is a King’s Counsel, had applied to the Kuala Lumpur High Court in July to represent Najib.

Foreign lawyers must apply for ad hoc admission before they can represent clients here.

His application was rejected by Justice Ahmad Kamal Shahid on July 21 after the judge held that Laidlaw did not possess special qualifications and experience unavailable among local lawyers.

Laidlaw filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Court on Aug 23, the very day the apex court handed down its decision in Najib’s appeal.

The other respondents in the appeal are Attorney-General (AG) Idrus Harun and the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee.

Meanwhile, Federal Counsel Noor Atiqah Zainal Abidin, who represented the AG, informed Suhaila the prosecution would file their intervener application by next week. The prosecution wants to intervene as it is the adverse party in Laidlaw’s appeal.

Suhaila has directed parties who intend to file interlocutory applications in the appeal to do so by Nov 22.

The prosecution, the AG, the Bar and the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee objected to Laidlaw’s admission when the matter was first heard in the High Court.

Lawyer Wan Mohammad Arfan Wan Othman appeared for Laidlaw while Lim Sze Han represented the Bar Committee.