Attorney-General (AG) Abdul Gani Patail has objected on a point of law to Karpal Singh's leave application for a mandamus order to compel the chief justice to explain remarks that he had bribed court staff while a lawyer.

azlanKarpal is seeking to compel Chief Justice Zaki Azmi to explain the matter and to have him brought before the Judges Code of Ethics Tribunal.

Responding to the AG, Karpal said he needed time to submit on the point of law raised and was given until Feb 7 to hand in a written submission.

Abdul Gani said the court will hear the objection and leave application on Feb 9.

Earlier, both parties had met Kuala Lumpur High Court judge (Appellate and Special Court) Justice Aziah Ali.

In judicial review applications it is not alingam tape panel meeting 031007 abdul gani patailn automatic right for the application to be heard directly, as leave (permission) has to be gained.

Abdul Gani (right) led a team of high-powered team consisting of the head of the civil division Azizah Nawawi, her deputy II Suzana Atan and Appellate and Trial division head Kamaludin Md Said.

Karpal was present with his daughter and lawyer Sangeet Kaur. Appearing for the Bar Council which held a watching brief in the matter was G Ragumaran.

Choice of judge

Karpal is also seeking a court order to prevent Zaki from determining the merits of the complaint against him.

In his application, Karpal said that under Section 5 of the Judges Ethics Committee Act 2009, the proper authority to hear complaints against Zaki would be a retired chief justice or retired federal court judge.

"No one should be a judge in his own cause," he said.

Zaki, who was previously an Umno legal advisor, will turn 66 in September, which is the legal retirement age for judges in Malaysia.

This is the latest attempt by Karpal to put pressure on Zaki over an apparent admission at a convention in Kuching in 2008, that he (Zaki) had bribed court officials while he was a practising lawyer.