Anwar's lawyers walk out of Syariah Court of Appeal
Four lawyers walked out of the Syariah Court of Appeal this morning, in protest against its unprecedented decision that three applicants need not obtain leave in seeking to strike out Anwar Ibrahim's appeal over his qazaf application.
The lawyers are Kamar Ainiah Kamarulzaman (left), Dorina Abdullah, Dr Mohd Rafie Shafie and Mohamad Burok.
Kamar Ainiah had objected to the hearing of the application by Jamil Khir Baharom - who is Minister in the Prime Minister's Department - and two others, arguing that procedure had not been followed.
The three-member bench was headed by Justice Zohdi Taha.
Kamar Ainiah said she and her team could not be associated with the court's decision and would leave the courtroom.
They then packed their bags and, with PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her supporters, left the room.
Roslizam Rahim, who represented Jamil Khir, then asked that Anwar's lawyers be cited for contempt for being disrespectful to the court.
Swipe at lawyers
Earlier, Kamar Ainiah twice took a swipe at the lawyers representing the plaintiff, saying they could have the zakat (tithe) money.
However, Roslizam asked the court to compel Kamar Ainiah to retract her statement.
Kamar Ainiah did so, and left the court room immediately.
Jamil Khir, the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, was in court along with the other plaintiffs - Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department director Che Mat Che Ali and enforcement officer Shamsuddin Haron.
The Syariah High Court had in April dismissed Anwar's qazaf (bearing false witness) application to compel the department to act against Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan for alleging that Anwar had sodomised him in 2008.
Anwar then filed an appeal. In May, lawyers acting for Jamil Khir and the two others applied to strike out the appeal, resulting in today's hearing.
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