Justice Alice Loke ruled that the proposed terms of the gag order were “too wide”.

“I don’t think there is a real risk to the fairness of the trial,” she said, adding that “much has already been said in the public (about the royal addendum)”.

Loke also dismissed the government’s application to seal court documents in the case from public access.

The government had sought the gag order pending the disposal of Najib’s judicial review application on the matter.

The hearing has been fixed for Nov 24.

The proceedings relate to the addendum allegedly decreed by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest.

Najib was convicted of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds and has been serving his sentence at Kajang prison since Aug 23, 2022.

The Federal Territories Pardons Board later halved his prison term from 12 years to six and reduced his fine from RM210 million to RM50 million.

The judicial review was filed last year seeking to compel the government to execute the addendum or supplementary decree to place him under house arrest.

Najib claimed that the supplementary decree was not announced by the pardons board, and that the government was in contempt for not executing it.